Metro rail is ready for commercial operation

The much awaited first ever elevated metro rail is ready for commercial operation between Uttara and Agargaon section this month, reports BSS.

"We're ready for commercial operation of the much awaited metro rail and hope that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the metro rail this month," Dhaka Mass Transit Company Managing Director MAN Siddique said Friday.

"With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's sincere and relentless efforts, the city dwellers are getting the latest mode of transport from the month of victory," he said.

The managing director said the metro rail will alleviate sufferings of commuters as it will be able to transport more passengers in a less time with comfortable means.

Talking to BSS, Project Director of MRT Line-6 Md Aftabuddin Talukder said that a summery for Prime Minister's schedule for inaugurating the metro rail was sent to the Prime Minister's Office.

He said that the metro rail will be able to carry 60 thousand passengers per hour and half a million passengers per day and one train will arrive at each station every four minutes.

According to the metro rail official, about 95 per cent of the construction work from Uttara to Agargaon has been completed and this section of the metro rail will completely be ready for commercial operation within this month.

All civil works, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), architectural, firefighting system, diesel generator, sewerage treatment plant (STP) and light setting activities have been completed, he said.

Escalator installation for Shewrapar station's one side exit/entry is going on, while testing and commission of MEP work is at last stage. The coordinated and real progress of the two packages (CP-03 and 04) rose to 97.60 percent.

Earlier, the managing director said that the train has already started its blank operation (moving without passengers) in early this month.

The monthly progress report of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company revealed that the MRT line 6 project progressed 84.22 percent overall till the end of November this year, while the Agargaon to Motijheel portion advanced 84.87 percent. The work for utility verification of the Motijheel to Kamlapur portion is expected to start soon.

The MRT line-6 will significantly reduce the use of smaller vehicles and the use of fossil fuels will be drastically reduced.