FE Report
Dhaka metro rail company plans to start the country's first ever underground metro rail project, known as Mass Rapid Transit Line-1 or MRT-1, in March next year, amid challenges to get the land for its depot and complete detailed design in due course.
According to the plan of the MRT-1 project office, the entire 31.24 kilometre line will be developed through 12 contract packages.
The first tender for land development work of the depot at Pitalganj in Narayangaj's Rupganj has already been opened to start the work by March next.
The rolling stock part of the contract will also be floated soon aiming to make 25 sets of trains ready before completing the work of 19.72 km underground and 11.37 km elevated track.
The MRT-1 project, having two routes - Dhaka airport to Kamalapur railway station and Notun Bazar to Purbachal, will have 21 stations, including 12 underground stations.
The project office is yet to get the entire 92.97 acres of private land to develop the land for its depot. Moreover, 25 per cent work is still left to complete the detailed design.
Yet, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) announced the work plan at a virtual press conference on Thursday.
Asked about the challenges, DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique said they expected to complete the land acquisition work and detailed design work before completing the tender evaluation process of land development work of the depot.
"Challenges always remain in mega projects. DMTCL works taking those into consideration," he told the FE, while answering a question.
Admitting that there are some disputes regarding land acquisition, the MD said those would be settled soon as land owners had been provided with money three times the actual land cost - according to the government's new law as well as following guidelines of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Project Director of MRT-1 Mohammad Saidul Hoque said an expression of interest had also been invited for appointing supervision consultant for the MRT-1. "We are hopeful to start the depot land development work in time
as six months have been kept for evaluation and finalisation of the first tender."
Answering another question, DMTCL MD said as the depot site was located outside the city, MRT-1 construction would not contribute to the city's traffic congestion.
Regarding the main part of the project in the city, the project director said the underground stations, which would be 10-foot deep, would be developed through the open-cut method.
So there is a less possibility of public sufferings and there will be no utility-related issues, said the project director, adding, "For the first six months, there might be some troubles on the road. But afterwards, nothing."
The line development work will start from both ends of the two routes - Airport-Kamlapur and Purbachal-Notun Bazar. Notun Bazar station will serve as an interchange.
The MD said the entire work plan has been designed to meet the target of launching the MRT-1 by December 2026.
According to the monthly progress report, DMTCL has completed 77 per cent of the land acquisition for the depot and 73 per cent of the detailed design work.
Each train set, having eight coaches, will have capacity of transporting 3,088 passengers, aiming to carry 800,000 passengers daily.
The stations on the airport route will be set up at Terminal 3, Khilkhet, Jamuna Future Park, Notun Bazar, Uttar Badda, Badda, Hatirjheel East, Rampura, Malibagh, Razarbagh and Kamlapur.
The stations on Purbachal route will be placedat Notun Bazar, Jamuna Future Park, Bashundhara, Police Officers Housing Society, Mastul, Purbachal West, Purbachal Centre, Purbachal East, Purbachal Terminal and Pitalganj depot.
While answering to the progress of MRT-6, the MD said, the test run of the first set of trains, arrived in April, started on Thursday on a 1.0 kilometre test track inside the Diabari depot.
Though they have yet to finalise the revised schedule of launching the first MRT line (MRT-6) in the city, Mr Siddique said with the completion of the test run, a work plan could be formulated.
Usually, one year is taken to go for commercial run of the metro rail from the trial run on the viaduct (a long elevated roadway usually consisting of a series of short spans supported on arches, piers, or columns), which is scheduled in August, he added.
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