Lahore On Monday, a good news came out for the people in Pakistan going through economic crisis. On Monday, Pakistan’s first intercity bullet train service Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) started in Lahore. The commercial operation of the first metro line in the eastern city of Lahore in Pakistan was started.
This metro line is named Orange Line which is 27 km (17-mi) long. 26 stations have been built on this route. Metro service has been started between Dera Gujran to Ali Town. The introduction of metro service in this congested city will lead to less travel time. Two-and-a-half-hour bus journey time will be completed in just 45 minutes with Metro service.
Officials hope that once the service is fully restored, every day a quarter of one million (10 lakh) i.e. about 2.5 lakh passengers will travel. Punjab State Chief Minister Osman Boozdar said during the inauguration ceremony on Sunday, “This project will provide world class facilities to the public in Lahore.”
Pakistan: Sabotage in temple, damage to idol of mother Durga on Navratri
Explain that the cost of this first metro project in Pakistan is 300 billion rupees. It is made in collaboration with China. The metro project was conceived in 1991, revisited in 1993, and then the World Bank funded the project. Subsequently in 2007, the Asian Development Bank provided financial assistance of one billion rupees.
The Lahore Metro was inaugurated by both the government and the opposition at their respective levels. On one hand, Imran Sarkar claimed that he had created this project, so the credit for its inauguration goes to him. At the same time, the opposition said that the foundation stone of this project was laid during his party’s government, so he is entitled to inaugurate.
Opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) performed the first inauguration ceremony by cutting the lace at Anarkali station in Lahore, where a large number of party members and supporters were present to witness the ceremony. While Punjab Province Chief Minister Osman Bujdar also inaugurated it in a separate ceremony.
During the commencement of this metro project, people had to face heavy opposition. Because some of the most famous sites in Lahore were damaged, especially the World Heritage Site Shalimar Gardens. At the same time, people were also angry at the cutting of over 600 trees coming on this route.
Pakistan PM Imran Khan wrote to Facebook, urging to remove Islamophobic content
Speaking on the inauguration ceremony, Chinese Consul General Long Dingbin described the metro system as a milestone in Pakistan-China friendship. He said, ‘I congratulate the Government of Punjab and the people of Pakistan on this occasion.’ The Chinese state news agency Xinhua described the Orange Line as ‘the beginning of a new phase for the South Asian country in the public transport sector’.