LAHORE - Half of the civil work on Orange Line Metro Train project has been completed and construction of 12 elevated and one underground station has commenced along the 13.7 kilometers long package one for the project from Dera Gujjaran, GT Road to Chuburji.

This was informed at a meeting of steering committee for Orange Line Metro Train chaired by Kh Ahmad Hassan yesterday.

So far 20 U-tube girders, locally precast structures, have been launched along GT Road for laying track for the train and the process will be accelerated in the coming days for speedy execution of this project.

Kh Ahmad Hassan directed fixing separate deadlines for completion of each of the station and called upon all the relevant departments for working with close coordination for achieving the set targets. He asked for provision of connection of utility services, including electricity, water supply, sui-gas and telephone, at these stations as per designs approved by NESPAK, for convenience of commuters. All the utility services departments should take special care of their infrastructure during execution of civil work, he said. LESCO should also take care of public facilitation and ensure minimum shutdowns of electricity during shifting of services, he directed.

General Manager NESPAK Slaman Hafeez informed the meeting that his department has established special task force for quick finalization of designs and other details about the station for their speedy construction. Work for construction of a bridge on Lahore Ring Road has also started.

He briefed the meeting about the pace of work on each of the four packages of the project and told that so far 59 per cent civil work of the package one from Dera Gujjaran to Chuburji has been completed. Progress of work on package two from Choburji to Ali Town is 44 per cent, on Depot near Dera Gujran is 48 per cent while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town it is 47 per cent. All possible measures were being taken for completion of the project as per schedule, he added.

Chief Engineer LDA Asrar Saeed, Chief Engineer TEPA Saif Ur Rehaman and representatives of Lesco, Sui Gas, PTCL, and other relevant departments besides CR-NORINCO and China Engineering consultants attended the meeting.