Metro runs to Motijheel, commercially from Oct

The trial run of the metro train from Agargaon to Motijheel in the capital began yesterday with a performance test.

A train left the Agargaon station for Motijheel at 4:35pm on Friday when Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader waved a green flag, following an inauguration ceremony at the station platform.

Quader announced that various tests of the metro rail would be completed in this section by 15 October. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the commercial metro rail service up to Motijheel by late October.

The initial operation of the metro rail from Agargaon to Motijheel will include two stops – at Farmgate station and Bangladesh Secretariat station. Additional stations will be introduced periodically.

"Today, I am proud to witness another milestone of the MRT line, a priority mega project of the Sheikh Hasina government," said Minister Obaidul Quader at the event.

Mentioning that the MRT Line-6 is the first metro rail project in Bangladesh, he said the government plans to develop five more metro lines in the capital.

Regarding the underground metro rail work in the capital, the minister mentioned that the physical construction has commenced. He expressed hope that the work for all six lines would be completed by 2030.

Officials from the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) explained that the experimental movement begins with a performance test. The subsequent steps include the System Integration Test and the final trial run.

On Wednesday, DMTCL engineers inspected the railway track from Agargaon to Motijheel to check for any obstacles, challenges, or technical defects that could affect the performance test, added the officials.

Minister Quader announced that all tests would be conducted during the daytime on Fridays and at night on the other six days of the week. Law enforcement agencies have already been instructed to ensure adequate security measures during the tests.

In 2012, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved a project involving a cost of Tk21,985 crore to develop the metro rail from Uttara to Motijheel by 2024.

The project was later revised to include an extension of the line up to Kamalapur railway station, which increased the project cost to Tk33,472 crore due to the additional 1.16km of lines and the acquisition of land for some stations and entry-exits.

The metro rail service on the 11.73km line connecting Uttara to Agargaon under the Line-6 project was launched last December. With the inauguration of services up to Motijheel, the total distance covered will be 20.1km.

Minister Quader revealed that the Uttara-Agargaon section of the metro rail currently serves around 70,000 passengers daily, generating revenue of approximately Tk26 lakh. 

He also mentioned that the number of passengers is increasing over time.

The minister emphasised that extending the service to cover the entire line would significantly increase the number of commuters, saving them valuable time. 

He added that the works on MRT Line-6 have achieved a progress rate of 95.39%, with the Uttara-Agargaon section completed 100% and the Agargaon-Motijheel section at 95.20%