The work to take metro rail coaches to Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Limited (DTMCL) depot started on Thursday morning and it will be completed by Friday, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday.

The minister came up with the information while talking to reporters at a regular press briefing through a videoconference.

The first set of metro rail consisting of six coaches of Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) rail project reached the newly-built jetty along the Turag River on Wednesday.

The second set of the metro trail reached the Kobe sea port in Japan and it will arrive in Bangladesh on June 16 through Mongla port.

Besides, the 3rd and 4th shipments of the metro rail coaches are likely to arrive on June 11 and August 13 while the possible time of the shipment of the 5th train set is July 21, and it is likely to arrive in Bangladesh on September 17, Quader said.

The 24 sets of metro rail have 144 coaches and each metro rail can carry 2,308 passengers, the minister said.

Already, 83.52 percent work on the first phase of the metro-rail from Uttara 3rd phase to Agargaon has been completed while 57.68 percent work on the second phase from Agargaon to Motijheel and 52.22 percent of electrical and mechanical systems, rolling stock depot equipment collection has been completed. “The overall 61.49 percent work on the metro-rail has been completed till date,” he said.

The minister also said the government has been able to save Tk 70.58 crore as the authorities concerned have completed the land acquisition work for the depot nine months before the scheduled time.

Some 60,000 passengers are expected to travel on the route every hour from 6am to 10pm once the much-sought project is completed.