By Xinhua writer Tang Binhui
LAHORE, Pakistan, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- "The Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is a very good project and I hope China will further engage such projects in Pakistan," said Safdar Husain, an advocate at Lahore High Court, who is a frequent commuter of the metro service.
The Orange Line subway project was jointly constructed by China Railway Group Corporation and China North Industries Corporation under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan's east Lahore city. It was put into operation on Oct. 25, 2020.
Syed Sana, a student of Lahore College for Women University, told Xinhua that before the introduction of the OLMT, she relied on public transportation, which was time-consuming and very expensive.
"After its completion, traveling within Lahore has become incredibly easy, affordable and comfortable. As a female, I appreciate the security and convenience it offers," said Sana.
She added that it efficiently connects one end of Lahore to the other, reducing the need for personal vehicles and consequently decreasing pollution.
Talking to Xinhua, Adnan, an employee working at a private office near the OLMT route, said he used to go to work by motorcycle, regardless of winter, summer, or rainy days.
"Now my difficulties are gone and all sorts of people, like blue workers, students and professionals, are using the metro train service," Adnan said.
According to the project staff, the Orange Line has been operating safely for 47 months, with train punctuality and fulfillment rates at the industry's leading level. The total passenger flow exceeded 10 million on March 12, 2021, and exceeded 200 million in September 2024.
"Due to the construction of this massive project, there are a lot of business activities going on in this area," Husain said.
The train also passes by some of the cultural and historical sites of the city, helping tourists to get there easily and promoting tourism of the millennium-old city known as the cultural hub of Pakistan.
Launched in 2013, CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase, and expands to areas such as agriculture and livelihood in the new phase. ■
