The Agargaon-Motijheel route of the metro rail in Dhaka is expected to open for passengers from the end of October, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said.
System integration (SI) test runs of the new route will continue till October 15, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may then inaugurate the new route at the end of that month, Quader said while inaugurating the test runs at the Agargaon metro rail station at 4:38pm on Friday.
The train with six coaches reached the Motijheel station at 5:17pm.
During a press conference before the first SI test run, the minister also stressed that the metro rail is an important mega project of the government, hoping that all six lines will be completed by 2030.
On Wednesday midnight, a metro rail train travelled from Agargaon to Motijheel for the first time in the performance test.
The tests and trial runs will be conducted on Fridays and at night on other days. Law enforcement agencies have already been directed to take adequate security measures during the tests.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneOnce the new route opens for passengers at the end of October, metro rail trains will have three stops at Farmgate, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel. The number of trains and stops may be adjusted depending on demand.
Progressing fast
Progress on the Bijoy Sarani Metrorail Station is currently at 97%; Farmgate Station 98%; Karwan Bazar Station 95%; Shahbagh Station 94%; Dhaka University Station 97%; Bangladesh Secretariat Station 96%, and Motijheel Station 95%.
The overall progress of the Agargaon to Motijheel section is at 95.20%. Progress of the Electrical and Mechanical System and Rolling Stock and Depot Equipment work is at 10-24%, while progress on the Motijheel-Kamalapur section is at 7.50%.
The Awami League government is already implementing four metro lines under the time-bound Action Plan 2030. These are - the MRT Line-6, MRT Line-1, MRT Line-5: Northern Route and MRT Line-5: Southern Route. Development partners are being sought for the MRT Line-2 and MRT Line-4.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneCurrent daily income 26L
According to the information provided by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), an average of 70,000 passengers are traveling by the metro rail each day. The average daily income is Tk26 lakh.
The metro rail started running on the Uttara-Agargaon route on December 28 last year. At present, metro trains run from Uttara Uttar station to Agargaon every day, except Fridays, from 8am to 8:30pm.
The Motijheel-Kamalapur section will be commissioned by 2025.