Guangzhou Metro Group said it has formed a consortium with two other companies and the trio will take over the operation and maintenance of the Orange Line metro service, Pakistan's first-ever mass rapid urban transit, for an eight-year term.

It is the first rail transit project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which fully adopts Chinese standards, technology and equipment, the company said.

The consortium, consisting of Guangzhou Metro Group, Norinco International and Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service, signed a service contract on Tuesday with the mass transit authority of Punjab province in Pakistan.

The north-south metro line, which was built in Punjab's capital Lahore, spans 25.58 km, mostly elevated, with a total of 26 stations and trains running at 80 kph.

Guangzhou Metro Group is busy making operational preparations and recruiting managerial and technical staff to ensure the Orange Line's commercial launch in early June as scheduled.