Lahore automated rapid transit project approved for June launch

LAHORE: The Punjab government has approved the launch of an Automated Rapid Transit (ART) system in Lahore, reviving a project that had faced delays since it was announced last year.

Officials said the decision was cleared by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and is aimed at making the system operational by June. The project is estimated to cost around Rs6 billion.

The approval comes months after authorities presented plans for a trackless electric transit system as part of a broader five-year urban mobility strategy. Under the current plan, the ART corridor will run from Central Business District (CBD) Kalma Chowk to Istanbul Chowk, passing through some of Lahore’s busiest routes, including Gulberg Main Boulevard, Jail Road and the canal route.

Transport planners have described the alignment as a high-demand urban corridor where commuters have long faced congestion and delays.

The system will use three-coach electric vehicles with a capacity of up to 270 passengers per trip. Services are expected to run every 15 to 20 minutes, while initial daily ridership is projected at around 18,000 passengers.

Authorities said the vehicles will be supplied by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), while operations will be managed by a local transport company under a public-private framework.

The ART vehicles are designed to operate without traditional rail tracks and instead use guided, rubber-tired technology. Officials said this model is already being used in parts of Asia.

Project builds on earlier electric tram trials

The latest move follows earlier attempts to introduce a similar system through a pilot electric tram project. In July last year, Punjab authorities displayed a Chinese-imported three-compartment tram assembled in Lahore. That vehicle was capable of carrying more than 200 passengers and operated entirely on electric power.

The pilot initiative was tested along Canal Road and other corridors, and officials said it helped prepare the ground for the ART system now moving toward implementation. According to officials, the new network will build on those trials with a more defined route, greater passenger capacity and integrated station infrastructure.

The system is expected to operate on a fully electrified model supported by solar-powered charging stations, a feature officials say will help cut reliance on fossil fuels and reduce emissions.

The rollout is part of a wider provincial plan to expand modern public transport options. Authorities have indicated that ART services may later be extended to Faisalabad and Gujranwala, although no timeline has been announced and future expansion will depend on the outcome of the initial phase.

If completed as planned, the project would mark Pakistan’s first large-scale deployment of trackless electric mass transit. Officials say it would place Lahore among cities in the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Qatar that have adopted similar technology.