With the inauguration of Dhaka Metro Rail, Bangladesh has entered a new era of public transportation. The dream comes true, and the wait is over. On Wednesday, December 28, at 11:05 PM, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled the much-awaited and first metro rail plaque of the country. After that, the Prime Minister waved the green flag and inaugurated the official journey of Bangladesh’s first metro rail.
Metro Rail is joining the public transport with the message of relief in city life. It is open for passengers from December 29. However, the train will run directly from Diabari to Agargaon until March 26. After that, it will stop at every station in between.
Let’s unfold every detail we know about the Dhaka Metro Rail project’s first phase Uttara-Agargaon route.
An Overview of Dhaka Metro Rail MRT-6 First Phase
The name of the project is Dhaka Metro Mass Rapid Transit-MRT-6. It is implemented by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). The project is being implemented in two phases. Uttara to Agargaon (11.73 kilometers) is phase one, and Agargaon to Motijheel is phase two. Currently, the first phase is open, and the second phase is expected to be opened by 2023.
Table: MRT Line-6 at a Glance
| Track Type | First Track |
| Total Length (Uttara-Motijheel route) | 21.26 KM |
| MRT-6 First Phase (Uttara-Agargaon route) | 11.73 KM |
| Transit Type | Mass Rapid Transit, Light Rapid Transit |
| Number of Stations from Uttara to Agargaon | 9 |
| Passenger Transport Capacity | 60 thousand per hour |
| Number of Metro Trains | 12 trains with 6 coaches |
| Maximum Passenger Capacity per Train | 2308 |
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Added in the Transport Plan in 2013
Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) coordinates everything related to the capital’s public transport. A Strategic Transport Plan was formulated in 2013 under this organization, and the idea of setting up metro rail was added to it.
Before that, On December 18, 2012, one of the priorities of the Bangladesh government, the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project, i.e., the Metro Rail Project, was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.
Later, according to the revised strategic transport plan made in 2016, the number of metro rail lines to be built in Dhaka was increased to five. The government established the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) in the same year to build and operate the metro rail in Dhaka.
Construction
Meanwhile, the main work of the Metrorail project in Bangladesh started in August 2017. Funding is provided by JICA, the Japanese government’s development agency. The total length of MRT Line-6 from Uttara to Motijheel in Dhaka is 20.26 km. Among these, Uttara-Agargaon is open commercially.
Read More: Opening of metro rail in Dhaka a historic moment: Japanese Embassy
On June 26, 2016, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated the construction of the MRT-6 project. Through this, the construction work of Dhaka Metro started. MRT-6 station and runway construction officially started on August 2, 2017.
On the same day, construction of a 12 km runway and station from Uttara to Agargaon started. On February 25, 2019, construction of the station and runway of Agargaon to the Motijheel section started.
Passenger Capacity
MRT Line-6 can carof ry 60 thousand passengers per hour. Each one-way metro train with 6 coaches can carry a maximum of 2,308 passengers. Hence, Metrorail can transport a large number of passengers in a short time.
According to a study cited by DMTCL, after the launch of MRT Line-6, during the operation of the metro rail, about Tk 8.38 crore will be saved in terms of daily Travel Time Cost, about Tk 1.8 crore will be saved in terms of Vehicle Operation Cost. The saved working hours can be used for the socioeconomic development of the country.
Read More: US Embassy greets Bangladesh for inaugurating the country's first-ever Metro Rail
Total Number of Trains
Initially, 12 trains have been kept ready for movement, but 10 will carry passengers directly. The remaining two will be ready at the depot for movement at any time. Each train will have 6 coaches. The average speed is 30 km per hour. Metro rail can run up to a speed of 100 kilometers per hour with passengers.
Stations and Routes
9 stations of the opened route from Uttara to Agargaon are Uttara North, Uttara Center, Uttara Dakshin, Pallabi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Sheorapara, and Agargaon.
Schedule
Starting from December 29, 2022, to March 26, 2023, the train will run directly from Uttara to Agargaon, and there will be no stoppage. Now the train will wait 10 minutes at Agargaon. All passengers must leave the train by this time, and during this time, the passengers going north will board the train. Then the train will depart for Uttara. It will take 10 minutes to reach Agargaon from Uttara by non-stop journey.
Initially, the metro rail will run for four hours from 8 AM to 12 PM. Once the passengers get used to the service, metro rail will start in full phase and stop at all stations after March 26.
Read More: Long queues seen at Agargaon station as metro rail opens to public
50 BRTC Buses will Carry Passengers
There will be 50 BRTC buses to take metro rail passengers from the Uttara House building area to Uttara North station. Besides, CNG, buses, minibusses, motorcycles, and other transports can also take passengers from metro stations.
How to Buy Dhaka Metro Rail Tickets?
Passengers can buy one-way tickets or make MRT cards to travel by metro rail. Passengers can also travel on the metro rail with ease using Rapid Pass. The fare is Tk 5 per kilometer, while the minimum fare is Tk 20. The fare from Uttara North to Agargaon will be Tk 60.
Single Journey Ticket and MRT Pass can be purchased from the Ticket Office Machine (TOM) with the help of the seller. Passengers can purchase Single Journey Ticket and MRT Pass Top-up automatically from Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). MRT Pass Top-up can also be done through Mobile and Web Applications such as cards and mobile financial services.
Single Journey Tickets can be purchased by paying the fare fixed by the government according to the travel distance. MRT Pass and Rapid Pass will be subject to fare deductions as per the travel distance determined by the government.
Read More: Fares of metro rail are reasonable: Quader
MRT pass cards can be recharged from Tk 200 up to Tk 10,000 from each ticket counter of the station. Moreover, those who can recharge themselves can recharge by going to the top up option at the ticket vending mactop-upHowever, top up using mobile financial services such as bKash, Upay, and DBBL cards are not active yet. These features will soon be started.
How to Get an MRT Pass Card and Rapid Pass?
For those who don’t want to collect tickets repeatedly to travel by metro rail regularly, there are MRT pass cards. By using this, you can travel as many times as you want just by recharging the money. However, you will need to submit an application to get an MRT pass card. The application form is now available on the DMTCL (dmtcl.gov.bd) website.
Besides, you can also collect from the stations. MRT pass cards can be collected by filling out the form and visiting the ticket counter of any metro rail station. The cost of the card is Tk 200, and the security deposit is Tk 200.
On the other hand, A Rapid Pass card is valid for ten years. And it can be recharged from Tk 100 to Tk 10,000.
Read More: PM Hasina buys Dhaka's first metro rail ticket to become its first passenger
Final Words
So far, we have highlighted the details of the Uttara to Agargaon route, the first phase of the MRT-6 project. As Dhaka metro rail has the ability to transport many passengers at once, the government is hoping to reduce the pressure on the roads. A different dimension and speed will be added to the transport system of Dhaka city. Hence, the working hours of city dwellers will be saved, and traffic congestion will be reduced to a great extent.