Work on MRT-02 starts in six months
MUNIMA SULTANA | Thursday, 26 November 2020
Work on mass rapid transit (MRT) line-02 will start in the next six months to develop a 128.74-kilometre MRT network in and around Dhaka city by 2030.
Officials said Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) earlier appointed a consortium to conduct a full-scale study on the project under a government-to-government public-private partnership (PPP) modality.
Marubini Corporation was picked as a potential private Japanese investor for a 24-km line from Gabtoli to Chattogram road during the third PPP joint platform meeting in June 2019.
Oriental Consultant Group Company Limited and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) have been conducting the feasibility study.
The DMTCL is now implementing MRT-06, 01, 05 (north) and 05 (south).
Of them, MRT-06 is under construction.
MRT-01 is now at a detailed design stage and the procurement process of MRT-05 (north) began in August.
A target has been set to complete the 20.1-km elevated line-06 by 2022, 19.8-km underground and 11.36-km elevated MRT-01 by 2026 and MRT-05 (north) by 2028.
MRT-05 (south) and MRT-02 have been scheduled for completion by 2030.
The MRT network will have a total of 67.56-km elevated line and 61.17-km underground line with 104 stations, including 53 underground stations, for a faster and safer mode of transport.
DMTCL managing director MAN Siddique said the consulting firm appointed for MRT-02 has already completed a pre-feasibility study and started working on a full-scale study from September 15.
The consortium is expected to submit its report in the next six months, he continued.
"We're expecting to finalise the alignment with all details in the next six months and hope to start MRT-02 under the g2g PPP model," he told the FE over phone.
The PPP Authority will carry out all necessary work on the project, but the DMTCL will play a supervisory role, Mr Siddique mentioned.
MRT-04 has also been planned under PPP, but it is uncertain as Bangladesh Railway has planned to set up electric traction on the same corridor.