Three mega projects open to traffic by next year

Three mega projects in the transport sector, including metro rail, will be open for traffic by next year, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday.

He said the Padma Bridge would open to traffic in June next year, followed by the Bangabandhu Karnaphuli tunnel and the Mass Rapid Transit Line 6 (MRT-6) by December same year.

The minister said this while formally launching the test run of the first train set of MRT-6 on the viaduct at Diabari depot in the city's Uttara area.

"Metro rail is no longer a dream… it is a reality and visible to people… Test run of the train of the MRT-6 begins creating a milestone in the development of the country," said the minister, while briefing journalists prior to flagging off the train to go ahead towards the viaduct from the depot's uploading point.

He said the government would be able to gift the nation three mega infrastructures - Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Karnaphuli Bangabandhu Tunnel and the metro rail - in the next year, proving the opposition's propaganda campaign false.

Quader, who is also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, said the test run would be carried for six months.

After that, a performance test will be carried out for three months and a trial run without passengers for five months, before opening the MRT-6 for the public in December 2022, said the minister, adding that overall work of the metro rail depot would be completed by December this year.

The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) inaugurated the test run of the metro rail through a ceremony on Sunday. Earlier on Friday, it operated the train on the viaduct as a security check.

The Japanese ambassador, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is financing the country's first metro rail project, and DMTCL managing director, among others, were present at the ceremony.

The first train moved towards the viaduct at around 11:50 am with a speed of 25 kilometres per hour, under the supervision of the Japanese contractor Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Starting from the depot, the train touched Uttara North, Uttara Middle, Uttara South and Pallabi stations before returning to the same spot.

Officials said the test run of the six-coach train set will be carried three to four times in a week to check the train's various components.

After that, speed, break system, signal and other tests will also be carried out, they said.

They also said the test run till Agargaon would also be conducted in the next two to three months since some stations needed further work to be ready for the run.

While witnessing the train's return journey at the Uttara North station, this correspondent found the station's physical structure had been completed and the concourse part was also being ready to establish ticket counter, card uploading, etc.

The minister said, of the total 20.1 kilometre elevated structure, construction of 17.029 km viaduct had already been completed.

He said the concourse of nine stations, out of 16, had been completed, while the platform of five stations and steel roof of four stations had been completed. Besides, an overhead catenary system over 17.44 km viaduct was also set up till July 31.

The DMTCL progress report shows overall progress of the MRT-6 project is 68.49 per cent.

Progress of the first 11.78 km part, from Uttara to Agargaon, is recorded 88.18 per cent, while the progress of the second part from Agargaon to Motijheel is 66.74 per cent.

Electric and mechanical system, and rolling stock and depot equipment supply work were recorded 60.66 per cent.

The state owned metro rail company has prepared a work plan to set up an MRT network with six MRTs in the city by 2030, establishing a 128.74 km line with 104 stations.

The MRT-6 is being constructed from Uttara 3rd Phase - land development work of the depot was completed in 2018.

smunima@yahoo.com