Another news about LRMTS which again gives hopes about its implementation.....
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LAHORE - The Punjab government has decided to constitute a ‘special authority’ to initiate Lahore Rapid Mass Transit (LRMT) Rail project under the directions of Asian Development Bank. According to sources in Planning and Development Department, government has to form a special authority as ADB, extending loan for the execution of LRMT rail project, had set the condition that unless such body is formed, the Bank will not extend its financial facility to the govt.
Sources disclosed that fulfilling some other conditions laid down by ADB, Punjab government has also been planning to establish Project Management Unit, appoint consultants and make relevant legislations. The Punjab government has also created a new head of Special Infrastructure in the Annual Development Program (ADP) and included LRMT project in the head.Sources revealed that ADB had set the condition after Rs 1 billion mega scam in LRMT rail project surfaced in past. The four ex-employees of transport department along with former secretary transport Agha Nadeem were found involved in the scandal. Sources said that Punjab government had allocated Rs 1.952 billion for 97 kilo metres long LRMT project in the fiscal year 2009-10.
“The LRMT rail project targets for the fiscal year 2009-10 include; engagement of transaction advisor for preparatory work, engagement of the general consultants to oversee the project, and tendering for the design-built LRMTS execution contract during year 2009,” sources added. Currently, there are four ongoing schemes under LRMTS Project costing Rs 1.856 billion. They said “the government had already spent Rs 1 billion on feasibility study of the project to be completed in two phases and the estimated cost had grown from $2 billion in 2007 to $2.5 billion in 2009 for the first phase.”
The current project is definitely not the first attempt to build a rail-based mass transit for Lahore. The proposed capacity of LRMT will be capable of moving 35,000 passengers per hour in the City. In Phase-I two tracks will be constructed. One will be a North-South route called the Green Line and other will be East-West route called the Orange Line.Green Line is going to cost US $2.4 billion to construct. The Green Line would extend from Shahdara to Hamza Town via Ravi Road, Lower Mall, The Mall, Fatima Jinnah Road, Qartaba Chowk and Ferozepur Road areas.
The length of Green Line will be 27 km. 11.6 km long Green Line route would be underground, while 15.4 km long would be overhead. There will be 12 underground and 10 overhead stations built on the Green Line route.
Orange Line will cost Rs 1.9 billion dollars. Its route will extend from Pakistan Mint to Sabzazaar via Shahnoor, Awan Town, Hinjarwal, Niaz Beg, Canal View, Wahdat Road, Ali Town, Salahuddin Road, Bund Road, Islam Park, Dera Gujjran Depot, Mahmood Booti, Salamatpura, Samanabad, Gulshan Ravi, Chauburji, Lake Road, Lakshmi Chowk, Railway Station, Sultanpura, UET, Baghbanpura and Shalimar Gardens areas. The length of Orange Line would also be 27-km out of which, 6.9 km long track will be underground, while 20.2 km-long will be overhead upon which six underground and 20 overhead stations will be established.
The central interchange station of Green and Orange lines will also be established besides linking these lines at Ring Road, Railway Station, airport, and sports city. According to initial estimates 245,000 people will benefit from the Orange Train annually.
In Phase-II, two more tracks will be laid out. These routes will be called Blue Line and Purple Line. The route length of blue line is going to be 24 km. The ‘Blue Line’ will start from Chauburji and end at College Road, sources said adding, from Chauburji the line will pass through Mozang Chungi, Shadman Chowk, Jail Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, Main Boulevard Garden Town, Faisal Town and end at College Road.
The route length of Purple line will be 19 km. Purple line will start from Bhati Chowk and end at Allama Iqbal International Airport. The line will pass through Bhati Chowk, Brandreth Road, Railway Station, Allama Iqbal Road, Dharampura, Ghazi Road and end at Allama Iqbal International Airport. Trains stations on the elevated route will be designed like overhead bridges while train stations on the underground routes will have two entrance ways and two exits.
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