PML-N Government looking forward for another project; Lahore’s Blue Line Train in Lahore. It has been said as good news for the people of Lahore. But even after this statement, the question arises; Is it really a bright step for the future of Pakistan, specifically Lahore, or Is it going to be a big headache for the native people. In my perspective, worries are rising because “Lahore”, the second biggest city of Pakistan, is already having too much facilities for local transport within the city, that it doesn’t feel to have any sort of need or requirement for this type of project, rather I say any type of project. Here are some prominent transport facilities in Lahore:

Metro Bus Service
Speedo
Orange Line Metro Train
Online Transport (Uber, Careem, inDrive, Yango, Bykea)

And the list doesn’t end here, there are a lot more to come up with. They are basically not a brand, but prevail in big quantity.

In this article, every aspect regarding this strategy will be elaborated comprehensively.

Overview of the Lahore Blue Line Train Project

Project Type: Recommended mass transit system (Metro Train) for Lahore.

Aim: targets to enhance public transportation and decrease traffic burden.

Route: Ought to cover major areas of the city, offering better connectivity.

Length: Estimated to stretch on several kilometers, connecting important commercial and residential zones.

Technology: Expected to feature modern, energy-efficient, and air-conditioned trains.

Integration: Will complement already existing Metrobus and Orange Line services.

Benefits

Quicker and more reliable transportation.
Decreased traffic congestion and pollution.
Economic boost by enhancing mobility.

Current Status: Still in the planning and approval stages, with assessment studies underway.

Authorities Engaged: Government of Punjab and related transport departments.

Expected Completion and Cost: A three (3)-year timeline is given for completion, subject to funding and approvals. The Lahore Blue Line Metro Train Project is expected to cost over PKR 600 billion.

Route Details

The Lahore Blue Line Metro Train is the first completely underground project of Pakistan, suggested to be constructed in Lahore. It will be spanning on approximately 27 kilometers. It has been designed to connect Valencia Town in the southwest to Babu Sabu Chowk in the northeast. It is expected to facilitate efficient transit across Lahore.

Key Areas Covered

The route covers several major neighborhoods and important commercial hubs. These include:

Johar Town: A prominent residential and commercial area, also the central traffic zone of the city.
Faisal Town: Well-known for its residential communities.
Garden Town: A residential as well as business-oriented region in Lahore.
Kalma Chowk: An important traffic junction in Lahore.
Gulberg Main Boulevard: A major commercial artery. Big number of day and night offices work there.
Jail Road: A significant roadway lined with re-owned educational institutions and businesses.
Ferozepur Road: A historical road which connects various parts of the city.
Allama Iqbal Town: A highly populated residential locality.

This alignment targets to serve over 250,000 passengers per day. This initiative highlights the Punjab government’s commitment in improving urban transportation infrastructure.

First Underground Train in Lahore: A Milestone or a Gamble?

The announcement of Lahore’s first fully underground Blue Line Metro Train has opened debates. The big question rises with the announcement. Is it a historical game-changer or just a reckless financial risk. While it is promising modern infrastructure. There are huge questions about its, feasibility, cost and, long-term sustainability.

These again remain unresolved. Will this be effective for reducing pollution or will it be a cause of increasing pollution, especially air pollution. Let’s undergo what can be analyzed so far:

Historical Context of Lahore’s Transport System

Lahore’s transport system has been quite burdened as well as in trouble for atleast last 12-13 years. It has been due to:

Poor Planning
Massively Increasing Population
High fuel price

What’s the important thing to note is that the city in the start used; rickshaws, and wagons, and some other bus networks also. Then there came these modern transit systems:

The Metro Bus (2013)
Orange Line Metro Train (2020)

These were both introduced, by the PML-N Government that time, but faced serious criticisms. This critique was not just by, big damaged was caused to the infrastructure of the city. Let’s see what was the disaster due to which people faced too much problems by these projects and it was just not liked by them at any cost:

Metro Bus: When it was launched, it was thought to be a cost-effective solution. But what was not taken in point, millions of trees were destroyed for this project. Some houses were also demolished for the sake of this project. These poor ethics lead to big disturbance for people. Those having it in their daily route, were good with this, but for others, which were more than 90% of the city were having hatred for the project. So, it’s not only the maintenance and mismanagement which led to a decline in service quality, it happened due to all these factors discussed.
Orange Line Metro Train: Even it is the country’s first metro train, it has not been a source of comfort for the native people. Even more trees were destroyed for it as well as houses. It does not end here; Muslims religious worship Mosques were also demolished for this project. It turned out to be a big headache for the people as well as financial burden. It requires heavy subsidies due to low ridership and high operational costs.
Blue Line Metro Train: Now, the government is looking forward for another project in the city, first underground train, which, is no doubt technologically impressive, but it also raises serious concerns on its development. Either Lahore even needs such an expensive transport or not? The existing infrastructure is badly failing to meet people’s needs, while destroying city’s traffic.

Comparison with Other Metro Projects in Pakistan

Pakistan has seen multiple metro projects, but their cost-benefit ratio has totally remained in controversy:

Lahore Orange Line vs. Karachi Green Line

The Orange Line, even it’s a bigger project, it still has suffered a lot from poor financial planning. Karachi’s Green Line, it’s not even a train service, but having a far more practical design and the same trouble, lower operational costs.

Islamabad Metro vs. Lahore’s Blue Line

Islamabad’s Metrobus serves a smaller population. Lahore’s Blue Line, on the contrary, always need some massive spending for an underground network in the city. And the city yet struggling with basic road infrastructure.

The Financial Burden: Is It Worth the Investment?

This Blue Line Train project in Lahore has raised serious concerns regarding its financial feasibility and, economic sustainability. Below are key areas of concern in this regard:

Estimated Budget vs. Expected Benefits

The budget estimated for this project reaches billions of rupees. Surely it raises big concerns about overspending, when there are more important sectors to spend money on.
There were resembling projects, like the Orange Line Train, which crossed the initial cost estimated. This is showing a potential repeat of financial mismanagement by the Punjab Government.
Maryam Nawaz government claims that this project will reduce traffic jam. But the past experiences regarding this public transport say that it has always been a failure to meet projected ridership numbers.
It is also a worry that there will be an increase in long-term financial pressure. The operational and maintenance costs are also anticipated to be high.
These projects don’t help the entire city, rather are beneficial for the certain area, which disturbs daily routine of entire city.

Funding Sources and Economic Viability

The project is expected to be funded through a mix of Government budget allocations, Foreign loans and Private sector investment. When you take foreign loans, it comes with some strict repayment conditions, which adds to Punjab’s financial liabilities. While Pakistan is already facing huge debt issues an is struggling against them, its not a gentle or wise decision to take such a step, which increases your loan.

Experts have also criticized the decision and have said that there are other jobs which can be done instead of this, and they continued that it would have been more cost effective. The Blue Line, which is under lot criticism just after its announcement, if fails to generate enough revenue, government than would have to look for subsidies.

Public Debt and Taxpayer Impact

A big part of funding will likely come from public debt as always. This will as expected increase Pakistan’s overall financial burden. If project-related loans are repaid, it could result in:

Higher taxes on citizens.
Cuts in essential public services like health, education, and infrastructure maintenance

If the government has no choice but to subsidize ticket prices at any cost, it will then become a long-term financial liability. When the already in progress, Orange Line Metro Train works with loss, how’s the Blue Line going to succeed with such scenario? No doubt, as always Citizens will face the consequences of this poor financial planning in a disastrous period of economic instability and inflation.

Corruption and Transparency Concerns

Whenever there are such big projects, there prevails a huge problem, called, “Corruption”. It never shows mercy, as well as it is painful affecting economic stability, public trust, and the overall efficiency of development initiatives. A lot of mismanagement, bribery, and favoritism comes in existence due the lack of accountability in project planning, bidding, and execution. Governments don’t look for this. They along with the contractors, and stakeholders must give priority to transparency and open governance to make sure that the public funds are utilized effectively. Basically, when there is compromise on transparency, projects then face risk of inefficiencies, inflated costs, and substandard construction. Addressing these concerns requires sturdy

Anti-Corruption Laws
Digital Transparency Initiatives
Active Public Participation in Monitoring Projects.

Past Allegations in Mega Infrastructure Projects

Several mega infrastructure projects across the world have been damaged by corruption scandals. A significant example is the Odebrecht scandal. It was basically a project in Latin America, where the construction giant was found guilty of paying billions in bribes to secure contracts. Just like this, many cases in Asia as well as Africa have exposed fraudulent practices, such as dishonest bidding processes and white-collar crime of funds. Some instances, have shown large projects that were funded by international institutions that were misused due to weak supervision. Corruption allegations mostly arise in projects that involve roads, railways, and, energy infrastructure.

Multiple stakeholders, including government officials and contractors, are all involved in these corruptions. Some scandals result in legal action. But the bad thing is that many of these corruption scandals go unpunished. It is no doubt due to a lack of judicial independence. Also, weak Law and Orders in struggling countries result in these scandals which remain unpunished. This history highlights that there is urgent need for structural reforms to take place to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Blue-Line Project: A Game-Changer or a White Elephant?

The Blue Line Project leaves questions: will it redefine urban transportation, or will it become a burden on public resources? Advocates are confident that the project will increase mobility, decrease congestion, and will also boost economic activity by enhancing connectivity. If it efficiently and smartly managed with transparency and accountability, then it could serve as a game-changer.

However, concerns surely remain about the cost overruns, mismanagement, and, maintenance challenges.

Same projects all over the world have suffered from delays, corruption, and financial miscalculations. As a result, turning them into white elephants: costly ventures that were unable to deliver promised benefits. Without strong oversight, the Blue Line Project risks becoming another underutilized or debt-increasing initiative.

The project’s success will ultimately rely on good governance, financial discipline, and public trust. If it is executed effectively, it could transform urban transport. If mismanaged, it may end up as an expensive misstep with long-term economic consequences on the country as well as their people.

Author

Muhammad Bin Nadeem