Dhaka Metro Rail

Dhaka Metro Rail (Bengali: ঢাকা মেট্রো রেল), colloquially known as the Dhaka Metro (Bengali: ঢাকা মেট্রো) is an approved mass rapid transit system under construction in Dhaka, the capital and the busiest city of Bangladesh. Together with a separate light rapid transit (LRT) system, it has been long called for to ease the extreme traffic jams and congestion that occur throughout the entire city daily, one of the heaviest in the world. It is a part of the 20-year long Strategic Transport Plan (STP) outlined by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), a governmental agency. As of 2022, the metro rail system consists of one line referred to as the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) Line-6, with other metro rail lines set to be added in the future.

Overview

Line-6 consists of 16 elevated stations each of 180m long and 20.1 km (12.5 mi) of electricity-powered light rail tracks. All of Line-6, save for the depot, and some of its accompanying LRT, will be elevated above current roads primarily above road medians to allow traffic flow underneath, with stations also elevated.

Dhaka Metro is projected to serve more than 60,000 passengers per hour by 2022, with wait times of approximately 4 minutes. The entire route will be able to be travelled in less than 40 minutes at a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), and is expected to drastically reduce the number of private cars on Dhaka’s streets as well as their potentially 7-hour-long standstills. The system plans to use magnetic contactless Integrated Circuit Ticketing, commonly known as smart cards. Platform screen door (PSD) barriers used at the platform level will increase safety and increase efficiency.

When the service is in full operation, trains of six air-conditioned spacious cars will arrive every four minutes going each way at each of the 16 stations.

The project is being managed by the Communications Ministry’s Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Authority, and a consortium of foreign as well as Bangladeshi firms known as NKDM Association is acting as General Consultant (GC). NKDM Association consists of: Nippon Koei Japan and Development Design Consultants (local consultant – Bangladesh).

History

In an effort to implement Dhaka’s 20-year long Strategic Transport Plan (STP), the Bangladeshi government invited the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to conduct a primary survey and feasibility study on the transport system of Dhaka in 2009–2010. In 2012, the Government’s Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project. A loan agreement between the Bangladeshi government and JICA was signed in January 2013. Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd. (DMTC), the agency responsible for the implementation of the first metro line (MRT Line-6) was formed in January 2013. The General Consultant (GC), namely the NKDM Association, commenced work beginning in February 2014. In June 2013, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTC) was established by the Government to implement the Metro Rail Lines across the city.

MRT Line-1 (Airport Route)

Construction of 19.872 km (12.348 mi) long underground line, MRT Line-1 (Airport Route) is set to begin in September 2022, costing US$6.1 billion. It will start from Shahjalal International Airport and stop at Kamalapur Railway Station. Line will have 12 underground stations. Stations will be constructed at Shahjalal International Airport, Shahjalal International Airport Teminal 3, Khilkhet, Jamuna Future Park, Notun Bazar, Uttar Badda, Badda, Hatirjheel East, Rampura, Malibagh, Rajarbagh and Kamalapur Railway Station. MRT Line-1 will have interchange of MRT Line-6, MRT Line-2 and MRT Line-4 at Kamalapur Railway Station. There will be interchange of MRT Line-5 Northern Route and Purbachal route of MRT Line-1 in the Nutun Bazar. Hatirjheel East of MRT Line-1 and Aftab Nagar West Station of MRT Line-5: Southern Route will have Interchange. Above all, the airport will have an interchange of MRT Line-1 with BRT Line-3. The government will provide US$1.5 billion while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will fund US$4.6 billion.

MRT Line-1 (Purbachal Route)

MRT Line-1 (Purbachal Route) will be 11.369 km (7.064 mi) long and it will have stations at Notun Bazar, Jamuna Future Park, Bashundhara, Police Officers’ Housing Society, Mastul, Purbachal West, Purbachal Centre, Purbachal Sector-7 and Purbachal depot. Of these stations, Notun Bazar and Jamuna Future Park would be underground as a part of the airport route.

History

The deal for construction of the MRT Line-6, costing US$2.8 billion, was signed by the Government of Bangladesh with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on 20 February 2013.Construction began on 26 June 2016 with an inauguration ceremony presided over by the reigning prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The first route, originally projected to start from Uttara, a northern suburb of Dhaka, to Sayedabad, in the south of the capital, was eventually extended north to Uttara and truncated south to Motijheel. Its launch was delayed several times.

Current Progress

Initiatives have been taken to extend the line from Motijheel to Kamalapur. Topographic Survey has already been completed. Social Survey in progress. The length of this part is 1.17 km. This will enable the passengers of Kamalapur railway station to travel by metro rail.

First Phase

First phase which starts from Uttara and ends at Agargaon will have nine stations. First phase length will be about 11.73 km (7.29 mi) long. As of 2022, It is expected that first phase will be open for public on Victory day(December 16) 2022. As of February 2022, progress of the first phase is about 90.08 percent.

Second Phase

Second phase will begin from Agargaon and finishes at Motijheel. It will be 8.37 km (5.20 mi) long. It will have seven stations. As of 2022, it is expected it will be opened for commercial in December 2023. Second phase’s physical progress stands at 73.08 percent.