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Metro rail draws huge crowd on 2nd day also

People waiting for hours to ride


Saturday, 31 December 2022


FE Report
Dhaka metro rail attracted a large number of enthusiast people on Friday, the second day of opening the new mode of transport for public.
People were seen waiting for long hours in queues in front of the stations, from where the trains started running at 8:00 am.
Even enthusiast people from different districts came to Dhaka to ride the country's first metro-rail that was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday.
They started gathering in front of the multi-storey stations from early morning amid fog and severe cold.
Like the first day (Thursday), the ticket vending machines faced glitch on Friday too.
The trains initially run between Agargaon and Uttara North stations without any stoppage between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon.
The long queue of commuters in front of the Agargaon metro-rail station reached the nearby regional passport office.


Parvez Rayhan, a university student, was seen waiting with his friends in front of the ticket counter in the station. He told the FE that they waited for three hours to enter the platform.
"I was afraid that we may not be able to ride today, as the queue was so long. It's totally a unique experience for all in the country."
He added that they were travelling merely to gather new experience rather than necessity.
Atikur Rahman, an onboard traveller, told the FE that he had been eagerly waiting for launching of the service. People in the adjacent areas of the rail-track faced untold sufferings for the last several years during construction of the mega structure.
"When the train will start running in full swing and stop at all the stations, we will be truly benefitted," he added.
It took around 12 minutes to reach Uttara North station from Agargaon, a distance of 11.73 kilometres, which usually takes more than one hour by public transport. During acute gridlock it could even take three to four hours.
Ticket price for the distance has been fixed at Tk 60.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has been developing six metro-rail lines in the city to ease traffic congestion.
According to the DMTCL, regular passengers can by MRT Pass from Agargaon and Uttara North stations by fulfilling a form - provided on its website and Facebook page.
A customer can avail the pass at a cost of TK 500, of which Tk 300 can be used as train fare.
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