The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, with a total length of more than 3,000 kilometers, is like a link, connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt to the north and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to the south. Corridor construction has yielded fruitful results, and here, there are endless stories to tell. In April 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Pakistan. President Xi Jinping proposed that the two countries should promote justice and benefit, and focus on common development. During the visit, the two sides signed more than 50 cooperation agreements, one of which was the construction contract of the Lahore Orange Line Rail Transit Project.

Witness the Friendship Arterial Line

On October 25, 2020, the Orange Line Project of Lahore Rail Transit in Pakistan, jointly constructed by China North Industries Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China North Industries Group Corporation, and China National Railway Group Co., Ltd., runs between Beijing, China and Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The operation opening ceremony was held by video connection. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." With a loud whistle, it means that Pakistan has officially entered the subway era.

The opening of this subway has ushered in many praises from China and Pakistan. Sardar Usman Buzdar, Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab Province, while thanking the Chinese government at the launch ceremony, also believes that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will further strengthen the relationship between the two countries. He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has opened up a new path for Pakistan to develop and prosper, and the successful completion of the Orange Line project will promote the further development of the traditional friendship between the two countries. Zhao Chenxin, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the operation held in Beijing, China and Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The completion and putting into operation not only boosted Pakistan's confidence in coordinating epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, but also further strengthened the determination of all parties in China and Pakistan to promote the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality.

On October 26, 2020, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian also expressed warm congratulations on the opening of Pakistan's first subway at a regular press conference. He said that the Lahore Rail Transit Orange Line Project is one of the early harvest projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and the Orange Line Project is currently one of the most advanced urban rail transit projects in the entire South Asia region, which will bring modern, An efficient, environmentally friendly and safe way to travel, while also helping to reduce air pollution in Lahore. Zhao Lijian pointed out that the completion of the Orange Line project is another major achievement in the implementation and construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. China will continue to work with Pakistan to promote the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and make the corridor a demonstration project for high-quality development of the Belt and Road.

teach a man to fish

Look, the majestic viaduct and winding tracks pass through the city from Lahore, like a long link, connecting and carrying the profound friendship between China and Pakistan. According to reports, the Orange Line subway project is located in Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan. The main line is 25.58 kilometers long and has 26 stations, including 2 underground stations, 24 elevated stations, and 2 main substations. There is a depot at the north end and a parking lot at the south end of the line. The project adopts Chinese standards, Chinese technology and Chinese equipment, representing China's advanced design concept and equipment manufacturing level. The subway train is developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Machinery Co., Ltd., and the maximum running speed is 80km/h. It operates 12 hours a day, and the initial capacity is maintained at 250,000 passengers per day, and will be further increased to 500,000 passengers per day in the later stage.

During the five years of project construction, the China-Pakistan working team promoted the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in accordance with the high standards of the two governments, built and operated existing energy, transportation infrastructure, industrial parks and people's livelihood projects, and made the corridor a high level To meet the requirements of high-quality demonstration projects for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, overcome a series of difficulties and challenges such as tight construction schedules, weak infrastructure, and environmental safety risks. In October 2020, the project will be completed and handed over, and the construction tasks of key projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will be completed with high quality. . In February 2020, North International Cooperation Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Metro Group and Pakistan DW Company formed a joint venture to overcome the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and successfully signed an 8-year orange line operation and maintenance project contract with Pakistan.

It is understood that in the design of the architectural plan of the Orange Line project, the designers fully considered the local architectural style, religion, customs and other factors, which not only met the functional requirements, but also greatly improved the urban landscape, and integrated Chinese standards with the local environment. . At the same time, the heavy-duty steel rails with long life and quietness are used to reduce power loss and maintenance costs. The rail components of special materials and processes are used to adapt to the local high temperature and prolong the service life. At present, the most advanced BIM technology in the design field is also applied in the integrated pipeline design, which improves the design efficiency and quality. The opening of the Lahore Orange Line subway not only interprets the speed of China, the strength of China, and the spirit of China. It is also an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Its opening provides convenience for the citizens of Lahore while solving the problem of local traffic congestion. On this orange road, there are also many Chinese companies including CRRC ZELC, Northern International, Guangzhou Metro, etc.

Chinese standards, Chinese technology and Chinese equipment! Yuan Jun, general manager of Northern International, said that the Lahore Orange Line project adopts Chinese standards, Chinese technology and Chinese equipment. In addition, the Orange Line project adopts Chinese standards and products, which has driven more than 300 Chinese enterprises such as CRRC, China Railway Engineering, and China Power Construction to “go global”, involving machinery, electronics, electric power, building materials, and railway industries. Create direct economic benefits of more than 6 billion yuan. During the construction period, more than 7,000 jobs have been created for the local area, and 2,000 jobs will be created during the operation and maintenance phase. Experts believe that through the Orange Line project, China's rail transit business has entered the Pakistani market, fully embodying the principles of co-consultation, sharing and co-construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and realizing the sublimation from going out to going in, and going up to integrating. At the same time, the Orange Line project adopts the joint venture management model, which has important reference and demonstration significance for Chinese enterprises to form groups to go overseas and build projects along the Belt and Road in a win-win manner in the future.

As the benchmark project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Orange Line subway took the lead in opening the subway era in Pakistan. It will enable Pakistan to have the most advanced urban rail transit operation system in South Asia, open up the economic artery that runs through the entire city of Lahore, and provide more than 12 million people. Advanced, efficient and safe transportation services help improve the level of local economic and social development, further promote the stable and long-term development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and become a new witness of the friendship between China and Pakistan.

The smooth opening of the Orange Line project is just a new starting point, heralding the opening of a new journey of China-Pakistan cooperation. The Orange Line project completely adopts Chinese standards. In the future, Pakistan's follow-up rail transit projects will most likely continue to adopt Chinese rail transit standards for the unification of interfaces. In particular, Pakistani staff have accepted and familiarized with Chinese standards, laying an important foundation for the sustainable development of Chinese enterprises in Pakistan's rail transit industry.

A gift to the people of Lahore

Dunya News, a Lahore world news TV station, also reported that the public was happy with the completion of the Lahore Orange Line and said they would enjoy a comfortable journey on the subway. It is understood that after the completion and operation of the Lahore Orange Line subway project, the current 2.5-hour driving distance will be shortened to about 45 minutes, which will greatly improve the travel efficiency of citizens. Passenger Harris Iftihar said that China has generously shared knowledge and experience with Pakistan, bringing real development assistance to Pakistan and promoting Pakistan's prosperity.

Since the official operation of the Lahore Orange Line project in Pakistan, the subway station has been crowded and orderly. The safe and comfortable transportation service enjoyed by passengers is inseparable from the hard work of the subway operation service staff. The Pakistani boy Nauman is one of the members of this team. Nauman, the station supervisor on duty on the Lahore Line, said he was especially grateful to the Chinese brothers for imparting knowledge and technology. Pakistani Mohammad Nauman has a special affection for the Lahore Orange Line subway. This is not only the first stop of his career, but also allows him to witness the deep friendship between the locals and the Chinese.

"In 2015, when the construction contract of the Lahore Orange Line subway project was signed, I was just a college student majoring in transportation. President Xi Jinping's visit made me very happy. Because I can feel that my country will enter the interconnection. the Belt and Road Initiative," Nauman said.

In order to ensure the smooth opening and operation of the Lahore Orange Line, Guangzhou Metro Group has dispatched six batches of 104 highly skilled talents to Lahore. The project team worked in the local weather as high as 40 degrees Celsius. Change the working mode and actively use the online contactless method to carry out the preparation work. Since the Lahore Orange Line is the first subway in Pakistan, the Pakistani personnel lack experience in subway operation. To this end, Guangzhou Metro Group applied its mature operation experience to the Orange Line, and quickly carried out work such as standard establishment, rules and regulations, personnel training, and operation and commissioning.

In February 2020, China and Pakistan signed the orange line operation and maintenance project contract, and the operation team began to form immediately. Nauman immediately applied to be part of the team. At this point, it was only 8 months before the subway opened. The operation team that is being formed needs to overcome the impact of the new crown epidemic in such a short period of time, and fully grasp the professional skills of subway operation, scheduling, driving, and maintenance, which makes Nauman and his colleagues feel a little uncertain. In addition to learning professional knowledge, all the trainees have to follow the Chinese trainer to inspect the Orange Line subway on the spot to understand the technical details of each place. In midsummer, Lahore is like a huge furnace, and the highest temperature during the day often exceeds 40 degrees Celsius. Some Pakistani colleagues expressed fear of open-air inspections. They are also worried, can their colleagues and trainers from China stand the heat?

“Each of our trainees was amazed and wondered why these Chinese trainers put so much effort into this program,” Nauman said. If there is a mistake in the operation, they take the trouble to explain it to us patiently." The example of the Chinese trainer gave Nauman great encouragement, and he and his colleagues quickly improved their skills. After the opening of the Orange Line subway, Nauman started his career with excellent results as the station supervisor on duty at the first station of the Orange Line subway, Dela Gujran.

"My family is so proud of me. Everyone loves the Orange Line because I can be a part of this major international project," Nauman said. Under the guidance and encouragement of Chinese colleagues, and with his unremitting efforts, Nauman was awarded the 2020 China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Outstanding Pakistani Employee for his outstanding work performance. He was later transferred to the Orange Line Subway Operations Control Center as a traffic dispatcher. In the new position, Nauman shoulders more important responsibilities. "This is the core of the Orange Line subway, and my job is one of the most critical," Nauman said. "To ensure the safety of Lahore's people, we operate strictly according to safety standards."

Li Chen, general manager of the Lahore Orange Line Operation and Maintenance Joint Venture, pointed out that during the group training, the Chinese trainer rushed to the front and led the new Pakistani trainees to measure the orange line subway track of more than 26 kilometers with their feet several times. We hired new students and checked the safety of the lines. Not a single Chinese complained about being tired. Li Chen said: "The orange line subway operates smoothly, transporting 25 million passengers a year, and there has never been any safety liability accident. As the first subway in Pakistan, the success of the orange line subway is hard-won.

Mohammad Rafi, a cleaner of the Orange Line subway, also said: "This Orange Line is beneficial and convenient for everyone. This is a very good rail transit system. After it is put into operation, people's commuting time will be saved, The environment is also very good, and everyone benefits." Another cleaner, Mohammad Nadim, also said: "I am very happy, this is the first subway in Pakistan, and it was built in our Lahore. I am so happy. Now, it feels good to work here."

Pakistani President Alvi once said that Pakistan-China friendship is "higher than mountains, deeper than seas, and sweeter than honey". Today, the Orange Line subway has become a business card of China-Pakistan friendship, which will forever remain in the hearts of the Pakistani people. Editor/He Yuting