LAHORE: The senior officials of the Punjab government took a ride in the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train that completed its high speed test run on Friday.

Led by Planning and Development Department Chairman Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh, the officers, including Secretary (Transport) Asadur Rehman Gilani, Secretary (Irrigation) Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Sumair Ahmad Syed and Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) General Manager Syed Uzair Shah, travelled in the train from Dera Gujran station and reached at Ali Town station (Raiwind Road).

“The test run of the train was conducted at the high speed of over 70km per hour and it was completed in 20 minutes. During the journey, the senior officers also inspected on ground construction work under the elevated train track along the 27km long route,” an official, who also travelled along with the senior officials, told Dawn.

“The objective behind this visit was to monitor the test runs being carried out by the Chinese at the site,” he said and added that the train, after commissioning in June this year, would run with the maximum speed of 45km per hour and its average speed would be around 36km per hour.

He said the Orange Line metro train’s operation and maintenance contract was awarded to a joint venture of three companies led by Norinco.

“The test run of all sets of train will end by March 30. From April to May 30, the trainings of drivers will be conducted,” the official said, adding that the service was expected to be opened for the public during the first week of June, this year.

Transmission line: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh on Friday allowed laying of 132KV transmission line near Jallo Park for Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), however, restrained the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) from making it functional.

The chief justice had previously stayed felling of trees on Canal Road by the Lesco and the laying of the transmission line.

On Friday, Lesco’s lawyer requested the chief justice to withdraw the stay order since poles had already been installed up to the grid station for the Orange Line Metro Train. He said permission should be granted to lay the transmission line.

CJ Sheikh modified the stay and allowed laying of the transmission line conditionally and sought a report on the next hearing from the Environment Protection Agency on the effects of the high voltage line.

Civil society member Imrana Tiwana and others had challenged the felling of trees along greenbelt of the canal near Jallo Park by the Lesco with a permission of the Forest Department.

Petitioners’ counsel Ahmad Rafay Alam stated the Lesco was undertaking construction of 132KV Ghazi Road (Fatehgarh High Voltage Transmission Line) while poles had already been installed and some portion of the line had been threaded with an outstanding stretch of approximately 2-3km along the canal. The counsel argued the felling of trees was in violation of the Canal Heritage Park Act 2013 and also violated fundamental rights of the citizens. He pointed out that the requisite permission had not been obtained from the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) before holding auction for the removal of the trees.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2020