ISLAMABAD/GUANGZHOU, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project in the capital city of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province has maintained a record of zero safety incidents, carrying more than 260 million passengers over the past five years, according to its operation consortium.
The 25.58-km-long metro line's schedule fulfillment and train punctuality rates have both reached 99.9 percent, the consortium said.
Launched under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the OLMT project is the first and so far the only metro system in Pakistan.
The project was constructed from September 2015, with design, manufacturing, and building carried out by Chinese companies using Chinese standards and technologies. It started operation in October 2020, led by a consortium comprising Guangzhou Metro, NORINCO International, and Daewoo Express.
Wang Zhiwen, general manager of the Rolling Stock Department of the project, said that it used to take two and a half hours to drive across the city, whereas the journey now takes only 45 minutes by metro.
"With a minimum fare of 25 rupees (about 0.09 U.S. dollars), the Orange Line has become the preferred choice for many commuters, and daily ridership has grown from fewer than 70,000 in 2021 to about 210,000 at present," added the Chinese manager.
The Chinese side has not only built the metro but also helped train local talent in operation and management. "We adhere to standardization and localization, issuing 126 regulations and standards, and building Pakistan's first modern rail transit professional team," said Li Yutao, deputy director of Guangzhou Metro's marketing department and director of the OLMT.
Li recalled that in early 2020, when the Chinese team first arrived for training work, the city was soon under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "To continue training, we rented a whole hotel for over 100 core Pakistani staff, commuting daily between the hotel and stations for a month," he said.
"On the day of the official launch, everyone was thrilled. Some Pakistani colleagues said it was the first time they had stayed away from home for a whole month, but it was worth it," Li added.
Currently, this team, with a 98 percent localization rate, employs over 1,000 Pakistani staff members, eight of whom have been honored as "Outstanding Staff of the CPEC Projects".
"More and more outstanding graduates are eager to join the Orange Line. For one position of rolling stock maintenance engineer, we received over 2,000 applications," Wang said.
The OLMT has also signed cooperation agreements with local institutions such as the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority of Punjab and the Punjab Tianjin University of Technology to cultivate rail transit professionals.
According to the OLMT, the metro has created more than 1,000 indirect jobs in materials, equipment and logistics, and boosted employment in catering, tourism and commerce by another 1,000. Development around the stations has created nearly 1,400 direct jobs and tens of thousands of related opportunities. In 2023, the project received the Common Prosperity Contributor Award, marking the 10th anniversary of the CPEC, and the Brands Icon of Pakistan award.■
