LAHORE: The construction of a 185-metre bridge on railway tracks near Parachute Colony is in its final stages and is expected to finish by the end of this month, the weekly progress meeting on Orange Line Metro Train project was told on Wednesday.

The meeting, presided over by Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal, was also told that diesel locomotives had also been imported from China for puHingtrains to the depot in case of any breakdown or emergency. They had been parked at the Dera Gujjran depot.

The meeting was further informed that more than 76 per cent of the civil work besides 26 per cent electrical and mechanical work on the project had been completed, including construction of a bridge on the Ring Road where laying of track was under way.

National EngineeringServices Pakistan General Manager Salman Hafeez informed the meeting that progress on PC-I from Dera Gujjran, GT Road, to Chauburji was 87pc, on PC-II from Chauburji to Ali Town 59pc, on depot near Dera Gujjran 81.5pc while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town it was 78.5pc.

Meanwhile, Lahore Development Authority Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed Khan told a private TV channel that it was almost impossible to reroute the trainincase of an adverse decision by the court.

`With over 75pc of the project already completed over 20km out of the total 27km it is virtually impossible to alter the route. On top of it, the route was finalised after due deliberations and elaborate studies of passengers` movement and planning. Changing it at the last moment was hardly an option,` he claimed.