Pakistan on Tuesday inaugurated the trial run of its first mass transit project, which is funded by China.
The Orange Line Metro train, which would complete 27 kms of distance in 45 minutes, will pass through the congested areas of Lahore where more than 250,000 passengers travel on a daily basis.
Punjab Minister for Transport Muhammad Jehanzaib Khan inaugurated the trial run. Following the inauguration, the project will formally enter in its completion phase. After the successful completion of the testing phase, the project is expected to open doors for the general public by March 2020.
In May 2014, China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pakistan to fund the Lahore Metro Rail project. In December 2014, China's Exim Bank agreed to provide a soft loan of around USD 1500 million.
Opposition PML-N celebrated the opening of the project saying it is a gift to the Lahorites from the Sharif brothers (former premier Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif) and the PML-N. On Monday the PML-N 'inaugurated' the metro train at a 'mock ceremony' here.