To improve travel facilities for the people of Lahore, the Transport Department has stepped up efforts and decided to introduce Pakistan’s first fully underground Blue Line Metro Train service.
According to Punjab government sources, preparations are underway to launch the Blue Line project in Lahore during the next fiscal year. Work on feasibility and design has been sped up, while the Punjab Transport Department and the Lahore Development Authority have begun practical groundwork on the project.
Sources say the feasibility report for the country’s first completely underground metro system is now in preparation. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has instructed the Provincial Transport Minister to complete the feasibility study and design work as soon as possible. Once finalized, the total cost, financing plan, and construction schedule will be determined.
The proposed Blue Line will stretch 27 kilometers and is expected to be completed within three years. The entire route, from Valencia Town to Babu Sabu Chowk, is planned as an underground track.
The line will pass through Johar Town, Faisal Town, Garden Town, Kalma Chowk, Gulberg, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Wahdat Road, and Allama Iqbal Town. Officials say the project will be able to serve more than 250,000 passengers daily.
The estimated cost of the project may exceed Rs600 billion. Tunnel boring machines to be used for construction will have the capacity to dig up to six meters per day.
For funding, financial institutions from China, Japan, and France have shown interest. In 2016, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Turkish consultants carried out an initial study. Another transport study was conducted by the Punjab government in June 2024.
Earlier plans had suggested that 12 kilometers of the route would be underground. The revised proposal now calls for the entire line to be built below ground. Initial funding and PC-1 preparation are expected in the upcoming budget, with a proposal to include the project in the 2026 to 27 fiscal year budget.