The Dhaka Metro Rail () is a mass rapid transit system serving Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is operated by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). The metro rail project is expected to reduce traffic congestion in the city. The metro rail network's only operational line is the MRT Line 6; currently under construction are MRT Line 1 and MRT Line 5, and MRT Line 2 and MRT Line 4 are in the planning stages. It is part of the Strategic Transport Plan outlined by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA). It has been reported that other Dhaka metro rail projects apart from MRT-6 will be completed in the early 2030s.
The first section of MRT Line 6 commenced commercial operations on 29 December 2022 and the second section on 5 November 2023. The third phase, which will have an interchange with Line 1, Line 2 and Line 4, is set to be completed by 2026. Further expansion of MRT Line 6 is expected towards Savar Upazila and Tongi. Passengers get a 10% discount on the fare when using the MRT Pass or Rapid Pass. MRT line 6 currently operates daily from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm and on Fridays from 3:30 pm to 9:00 pm (7:10 am to 9:40 pm for MRT Pass/Rapid Pass holders). MRT Police provides security for the Dhaka Metro Rail.
History To implement Dhaka's 20-year-long Strategic Transport Plan, the government of Bangladesh invited the Japan International Cooperation Agency to conduct a primary survey and feasibility study on the transport system of Dhaka in 2009–2010. In 2012, the executive committee of the National Economic Council approved the project. A loan agreement between the Bangladeshi government and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency was signed in January 2013.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, the agency responsible for the implementation of the first metro line, was formed in January 2013. The General Consultant, namely the NKDM Association, commenced work beginning in February 2014. In June 2013, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited was established by the government to implement the Metro Rail Lines across the city. Dhaka metro rail was opened by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 29 December 2022.
History of MRT Line-6
Construction
The deal for the construction of the MRT Line-6, costing US$2.8 billion, was signed by the government of Bangladesh with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on 20 February 2013. Construction began on 26 June 2016 with an inauguration ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Civil engineering work was done by the Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd. and China's Sinohydro Corporation Ltd. JV, and a Tokyo-based construction company developed the depot's land.
Construction work was divided into eight packages, covering aspects like depots, stations and rolling stock.
Planning When construction commenced in 2016, the Metro Rail was expected to open by the end of 2019. By 2018, this expectation was still held to, but by 2019, completion of phase one was delayed to December 2021. In 2018, the second phase was expected to be complete by December 2020. Eventually, these dates were pushed back, with phase one opening in 2022 and phase two expected in 2023. The main reason for the delays from 2020 to 2022 was the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cost and length changes Originally, the project cost was Tk 219,850 million but it was later increased by Tk 114,870 million to Tk 334,720 million, although the full Project is not yet completed. The first route, originally projected to start from Uttara, a northern area of Dhaka, to Sayedabad, in the south of the capital, was eventually extended north to Uttara and truncated south to Motijheel. The original length which was has been increased by to . It was planned to have 16 stations originally but it has been increased to 17 stations.
Misconceptions The project was originally reported to be a underground metro rail line. It was later confirmed to be an elevated and underground metro rail project. In 2014, it was reported that 56 trains would run on the metro system. It was confirmed that 24 vehicles would run on the MRT Line 6. It was planned to have six lines.
Trial runs MRT Line-6's train made its first run on 29 August 2021. It traveled from Diabari Depot to Mirpur 12. It successfully made its second run on 29 November 2021. It traveled from Uttara to Mirpur 10. The line's train made its longest trial run on 12 December 2021. It traveled from Uttara to Agargaon. The train ran for after invigoration has been run 4 stations along with mirpur to Agargaon station after several months other stations are open. It ran at for and ran at for the rest.
Architecture Line 6 consists of 16 operational elevated stations of length each, and of electricity-powered light rail tracks. All of line 6, save for the depot and some of its accompanying LRT, will be elevated above current roads. Mostly, this will be above road medians to allow traffic flow underneath, with stations also elevated. The Dhaka Metro is projected to serve more than 60,000 passengers per hour by 2022 with headways of approximately 4 minutes. The entire route can be travelled in less than 40 minutes at a speed of , and is expected to drastically reduce the number of private cars on Dhaka's streets as well as their potentially 7-hour-long standstills. The system is using magnetic contactless Integrated Circuit Ticketing, commonly known as smart cards. Platform screen door (PSD) barriers used at the platform level will increase safety and increase efficiency. Trains of six spacious air-conditioned cars will arrive every four minutes going each way at each of the 16 stations.
The project is being managed by the Communications Ministry's Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Authority, and a consortium of foreign and Bangladeshi firms known as the NKDM Association is acting as the project's general consultant. The NKDM Association consists of Nippon Koei Japan and Development Design Consultants (local consultant - Bangladesh).
Infrastructure
Rolling stock Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries (with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) made the rolling stock for DMTCL. +FeatureDescriptionNicknameThe "Green Train"Dimensions19.8m long, 2.95m wide, and 4.1m highMax speed~100 km/hNumber of cars24 trainsets, each with 6 cars, total 144 carsCarrying Capacity~60,000 per hourPower Delivery1500 V DC via overhead catenary power lineBody MaterialStainless SteelQuality of life and safety featuresAir conditioned, CCTV surveillance etc.
Network
Operational +Operational Line First run Stations Number of Stations Length (km) Terminals Interchange Stations Depot MRT Line 6First Phase 29 December 2022Uttara North, Uttara Center, Uttara South, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon 9 11.73 Uttara Terminal Agargaon at Mirpur 10 Diabari Depot MRT Line 6Second Phase 4 November 2023Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Kawran Bazar, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Bangladesh Secretariat, Motijheel 7 9.53 Motijheel at Kawran Bazar at Motijheel
Under construction / Planned +Under construction/ PlannedLineExpected completionStationsNumber of StationsLength (km)TerminalsInterchange StationsDepotMRT Line 1(Airport Route)2033https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/govt-approves-three-metro-rail-projects-worth-tk25-lakh-crore-1544081Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Terminal 3, Khilkhet, Nadda, Notun Bazar, North Badda, Badda, Aftabnagar, Rampura, Malibagh, Rajarbagh, Kamalapur2131.233Shahjalal International AirportKamalapur at Notun Bazar
at Aftabnagar
at KamalapurPitalganj DepotMRT Line 1(Purbachal Route)Notun Bazar, Nadda, Joar Sahara, Boalia, Mastul, PCS, Purbachal Centre, Purbachal East, Purbachal TerminalPurbachal Terminalat Notun BazarMRT Line 2 (Main Line)TBAGabtoli, Dhaka Uddan, Mohammadpur, Zigatola, Science Laboratory, New Market, Azimpur, Palashi, Dhaka Medical College, Gulistan, Motijheel, Kamalapur, Manda, Dakshingaon, Dhamripara, Signboard, Bhuigor, Jalkury, Downtown Narayanganj2235GabtoliNarayanganjat Gabtoli
at Motijheel
at Kamalapur
at SignboardMatuail Rail DepotMRT Line 2 (Branch Line)Gulistan, Golap Shah Mazar, Nayabazar, SadarghatN/AMRT Line 4TBAKamalapur, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, Shonir Akhra, Signboard, Chittagong Road, Kanchpur, Madanpur816KamalapurMadanpurat Kamalapur
at SignboardMadanpurMRT Line 5(Northern Route)2033https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/govt-approves-three-metro-rail-projects-worth-tk25-lakh-crore-1544081 Hemayetpur, Baliarpur, Bilamalia, Amin Bazar, Gabtoli, Darus-Salam, Mirpur 1, Mirpur 10, Mirpur 14, Kachukhet, Banani, Gulshan-2, Notun Bazar, Vatara1420HemayetpurVataraat Gabtoli
at Mirpur 10
at Notun BazarHemayetpur DepotMRT Line 5(Southern Route)2033https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/govt-approves-three-metro-rail-projects-worth-tk25-lakh-crore-1544081Gabtoli, Technical Circle, Kallyanpur, Shyamoli, College Gate, Asad Gate, Rasel Square, Karwan Bazar, Hatirjheel, Tejgaon, Aftabnagar, Aftabnagar Centre, Aftabnagar East, Nasirabad, Dasherkandi1517.3GabtoliDasherkandiat Gabtoli
at Kawran Bazar
at AftabnagarDasherkandi DepotMRT Line 6 Third Phase2027Kamalapur11.17Uttara TerminalKamalapurat KamalapurDiabari DepotTotal104 128.7
Official time table for Dhaka metro rail +Time TableFULL TIMETABLESunMonTueWedThuFriSat 7:10AM to 11:00AM (peak hour) - every 6min 11:01 AM to 04:00PM (off peak) - every 7min 04:01PM to 09:40PM (peak hour) - every 6min 7:10AM to 11:00AM (peak hour) - every 6min 11:01 AM to 04:00PM (off peak) - every 7min 04:01PM to 09:40PM (peak hour) - every 6min 7:10AM to 11:00AM (peak hour) - every 6min 11:01 AM to 04:00PM (off peak) - every 7min 04:01PM to 09:40PM (peak hour) - every 6min 7:10AM to 11:00AM (peak hour) - every 6min 11:01 AM to 04:00PM (off peak) - every 7min 04:01PM to 09:40PM (peak hour) - every 6min 7:10AM to 11:00AM (peak hour) - every 6min 11:01 AM to 04:00PM (off peak) - every 7min 04:01PM to 09:40PM (peak hour) - every 6min 3:00PM to 09:40PM - every 6min 7:10AM to 11:00AM - every 6min 11:01 AM to 09:40PM - every 6min ㅤ
MRT lines MRT Line 1
Airport Route The construction of the long underground line, MRT Line 1 (Airport Route), is set to begin in December 2022, costing US$6.1 billion after many delays. Its deadline is set for 2026. It will start from Shahjalal International Airport and stop at Kamalapur Railway Station. The line will have 12 underground stations. Stations will be constructed at Shahjalal International Airport, Shahjalal International Airport Terminal 3, Khilkhet, Nadda, Notun Bazar, North Badda, Badda, Aftabnagar, Rampura, Malibagh, Rajarbagh and Kamalapur Railway Station. MRT Line 1 will have an interchange with MRT Line 6, MRT Line 2 and MRT Line 4 at Kamalapur Railway Station. There will be an interchange for the MRT Line 5 Northern Route and the MRT Line 1's Purbachal route at the Notun Bazar. Hatirjheel East of MRT Line 1 and Aftab Nagar West Station of MRT Line 5: Southern Route will have an Interchange. Above all, the airport will have an interchange of MRT Line-1 with BRT Line 3. The government will provide US$1.5 billion while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund US$4.6 billion. The use of soundless TBMs will make it possible to build MRT Lind1's underground infrastructure without disrupting the daily lives of residents and businesses.
Purbachal Route MRT Line 1 (Purbachal Route) will be long and it will have stations at Notun Bazar, Nadda, Bashundhara, Joar Sahara, Mostul, Purbachal Cricket Stadium, Purbachal Centre, Purbachal East and Purbachal Terminal. Of these stations, Notun Bazar and Nadda would be underground as a part of the airport route.
MRT Line 2