Dhaka’s metro rail is set to begin its seven-day-a-week operations, launching its first Friday operation today.
The mass rapid transit line 6 (MRT 6) will operate for a half day from 3:30 pm to 9:40 pm with 12 minutes headway/intervals touching all stations except Mirpur-10 on Fridays.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which has so far kept MRT 6 operation off on Friday as a weekly holiday for maintenance, also decided to open Kazipara station today (Friday).
It has completed the emergency repair and replacement work at a cost of Tk 2.05 million, DMTCL Managing Director Mohammad Abdur Rouf disclosed this at a press conference on Thursday
Visiting the stations damaged during the anti-discrimination movement, the former MD of the DMTCL earlier estimated the cost of reinstating the entire systems to be around Tk2.50 billion.
Mr Rouf said the Kazipara station could be opened by repairing and replacement of essential equipment and materials from local sources and existing stock.
"We are opening Kazipara station on this occasion by turning it 'usable' considering the commuters' comfort," he told the journalists.
Mr Rouf said the station was made usable with the automatic machines which were available at the MRT's display centre and replaced from Mirpur 10 station as those were not damaged.
Regarding Mirpur 10 station, the MD said different teams have been assessing item-wise condition of different machines and equipment.
"After a week, we will understand what would require and how long it would take to reopen the station," he added. To keep operation on the weekly holidays, the DMTCL will operate 60 trips as against regular 198 trips on weekdays.
The first train will start from Uttara North at 3:30 pm and the last train at 9:00 pm on Fridays. First train from Motijheel station will start at 3:40 pm and the last train at 9:40 pm.
Regarding earning from the MRT 6 operations, Additional Secretary Rouf said 4.9 million passengers availed the MRT services in September till Wednesday and the earnings were Tk 200 million.
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