Deal signed for developing MRT Line-5 depot

A joint venture of TAO Corporation of Japan and Spectra Engineers Limited of Bangladesh has achieved the contract for developing the depot area for the Mass Rapid Transit Line-5 (Northern Route) project.

The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited signed a deal involving Tk1,189 crore in this regard Tuesday.

The depot will be set up over 99.25 acres of land in Hemayetpur, Savar.

ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, was the chief guest at the deal signing ceremony held at the Dhaka Mass Transit Company conference room in the Uttara Depot of the MRT line-6. MAN Siddique, managing director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company, chaired the programme.

At the event, ABM Amin Ullah Nuri said the physical works of the 20km metro rail from Hemayetpur to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur, and Gulshan is expected to start in next July, subject to the schedule of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The project will be completed through 10 contract packages by 2028.

"There is no reason for it to take longer, because all our work is done on time. Moreover, we have already gathered experience by executing the work of MRT-6," he said, adding, "There is no reason to delay the project work."

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Managing Director MAN Siddique said Blue trains will run on MRT-5 Northern route. Each line of the metro train will have a different colour of train. MRT-6 has a green colour train while the colour of train on MRT-1 will be red.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project in 2019 to build a 20km line with 13.5 km of underground and 6.5km of elevated sections. Nine stations out of 14 are to be established in underground sections and the remaining stations will be in the elevated section.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company officials said the estimated cost of the project is Tk41,238.55 crore. Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will provide Tk29,117 crore, about 71% of the project cost, as a concessional loan.

The Dhaka Mass Transit Company aims to finish the project by 2028. Around 1.23 million people will ride the metro train every day in the proposed line after the commencement of services.

Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori, Jica Chief Representative in Bangladesh Higuchi Tomohide, and other officials from the government and the contractor were present at the event.