Lahore is the second largest urban center in Pakistan. It is the provincial capital of the populous Punjab province with an estimated population of 10 million. The transport demand amounts to 8 million daily motorized trips to work, shopping or recreation other than walking. Over the past fifteen years, the rapid growth in population and increasing vehicle ownership have steadily worsened the traffic congestion in Lahore. The situation will get worse in the absence of any proposed transport infrastructure improvements.
In order to cope with the ever increasing traffic congestion, there was an urgent need to develop masstransit transport facilities in Lahore to meet the predicted passenger demand. A masstransit system network dilutes and protects against ever increasing demand and supply for the urban traffic system, and further contributes towards developing a sustainable transport system. In 2007, Transport Department, Government of the Punjab, commissioned a consultant to develop a long term masstransit network and undertake a feasibility study of a masstransit system for Lahore.
The strategic long term LRMTS network was developed, based on identification of potential masstransit corridors, followed by a broad assessment of patronage and engineering constraints in those corridors. The order of priority for implementing these lines was then determined based primarily on forecast passenger demand. The resulting Long Term Network is made up of four lines in the following order of priority:
- Green Line (MRT) – Ferozepur Road / Mall Road / Ravi Road / Shahdara (Commissioned as BRT for Operation on February 10, 2013)
- Orange Line Metro Rapid Transit (MRT) – Raiwind Road / Multan Road / Mcleod Road / Railway Station / GT Road
- Blue Line (MRT) – Township / Gulberg Boulevard / Jail Road
- Purple Line (MRT) – Bhatti Gate / Allama Iqbal Road / Airport
The Orange Line MRT feasibility study was done by the Consultant MVA Asia Ltd. in year 2007 for 27 km route. The study was updated by NESPAK in 2014 through Addendum to the Feasibility Study. The Orange Line starts from Ali Town on Raiwind Road and terminates at Dera Gujran. The alignment follows the Multan Road corridor from Thokar Niaz Baig up to Chauburji, then via Lake Road, Mcleod Road, Nicholson Road to the main Railway Crossing to reach G.T. Road and follows G.T. Road till interchange of Lahore Ring Road. The project cost is USD 1478.18 million (exclusive of contingencies).
The features of the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project are as follows:
- Total Length: 27.1 km (Cut & Cover Section: 1.72 km; Elevated: 25.4)
- Total Stations: 26 (Elevated Stations: 24 & Cut & Cover Stations: 02)
- Rolling Stock Requirement - 27 Train Sets at the Start of Operations
- Ridership: 245,000 Passengers / Day
Route Alignment
Section |
Along |
Station Names |
||
| Stabling Yard to Thokar Niaz Baig | Raiwind Road | Ali Town, Thokar Niaz Baig | ||
| Thokar Niaz Baig to Chauburji | Multan Road | Canal View, Hanjarwal, Wahdat Road, Awan Town, Sabzazar, Shahnoor, Salahudin Road, Band Road, Samanabad, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Chauburgi | ||
| Chauburji to GPO Chowk | Lake Road / Edward Road / Ustad Allah Bakhsh Road | Lake Road, GPO | ||
| GPO Chowk to Qila Gujjar Singh | McLeod Road | Lakshmi Chowk | ||
| Qila Gujjar Singh to Bohar Wala Chowk | Nicholson Road | Railway Station | ||
| Bohar Wala Chowk to Sultanpura (Coop Store) | Over the Railway Lines | |||
| Sultanpura (Coop Store) to Dera Gujran | G.T. Road | UET, Baghbanpura, Shalamar Garden, Pakistan Mint, Mahmood Booti, Salamatpura, Islam Park, Dera Gujran |
The PMA has nominated Lahore Development Authority as executing agency for construction of civil works of the project. The project is expected to be completed in 27 months.