Pakistan's first-ever metro train sees delays galore, despite Chinese help

Lahore has waited with bated breath for a world-class metro rail network. That wait has now extended. Again.

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At a time when Indian cities are quickly incorporating metro trains into their public transportation networks, Pakistan is stuttering. Its first metro project was launched by the Nawaz Sharif government in 2014 but the wait for Lahore residents was recently extended to March of 2019. And it is hardly the first delay.

Pakistan-based Dawn recently reported that the Lahore Metro was to begin public operations in May of this year. It couldn't. Trial runs were then conducted in May. Now, officials in the know have said that while most of the work is complete, doors won't be opened to public till next year.

The 27-kilometre metro line at a cost of $1.6 billion  - and with ample help from a Chinese company - has hit several roadblocks in its journey from being a dream to turning into a reality. The most significant hurdle was when its close distance from historical monuments led to legal woes with the Lahore High Court. The Supreme Court of the country would eventually give the green signal but with numerous conditions, including that the high-speed trains would slow down when passing by historical structures. Then there were allegations that funds were not released on time by governments.

All of these have led to numerous delays for the country's first metro line that hopes to eventually transport 250,000 a day when it begins operations and take that number to 500,000 by 2025.