The much-needed metro train service from Agargaon to Motijheel is slated to begin in its second phase today, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expected to cut the ribbon.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Agargaon-Motijheel section at 2.30pm today from the Agargaon station. Then, she will take the metro to Motijheel for another inaugural programme at the Motijheel station,” said Managing Director of DMTCL MAN Siddique.
The premier will also officially start work on MRT Line-5, or the Northern Route. This 20-kilometer line will pass via Gabtoli, Mirpur-10, and Gulshan on its way from Hemayetpur to Bhatara. The project of Taka 41,239 crore has a 2028 deadline.
Beginning on November 5, commuters from Uttara to Motijheel will be able to board the train, according to the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL).
He said that because of the inaugural ceremony on Saturday, November 4, normal metro service from Uttara to Agargaon will be discontinued.
The Prime Minister had earlier on December 28 inaugurated the first section of the first metro rail line, which would run from Uttara to Agargaon.
Additionally, three Agargaon-Motijheel stations would be served by the metro rail, according to Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader.
“The length of the Agargaon to Motijheel section is 8.72km. The metro rail will stop at Farmgate, Secretariat and Motijheel stations,” he said.
On the Uttara-Motijheel route, the metro will run daily from 7:30am to 11:30am from 5 November, the minister said.
He also added that after 11:30am, metro rail movement will be stopped on the Motijheel-Agargaon route, while it will operate up to 8:30pm in the Uttara-Agargaon section.
Considering convenience, the route has been extended by 1.16 km from Motijheel to Kamalapur, Quader said the extended portion will be completed by June 2024.
Each train can run at a speed of 100 to 110 km with 2,300 passengers. However, the speed will be lower in areas with bends.
The Awami League government eased strain on the capital with a number of measures after taking office in 2009. According to the proposal specifics, steps were taken to install metro rail across the capital to reduce traffic congestion.
Sixty thousand passengers an hour and five million passengers a day will be carried by the metro rail, with a train arriving at each station every four minutes.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is building the metro rail system and is lending soft money to the undertaking. For the project, the JICA provided Taka 19,500 crore.
