The government has approved three metro rail projects involving a combined estimated cost of about Tk 2.50 lakh crore including a new MRT Line-5 Southern Route project and revised costs for Japan-funded MRT Line-1 and MRT Line-5 Northern Route.

The projects were approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at Secretariat on Wednesday, with Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman in the chair.

The new 17.20-kilometre MRT Line-5 Southern Route connecting Gabtoli with Dasherkandi has been approved at an estimated cost of Tk 45,503.76 crore.

Of the amount, the government will provide Tk15,197.66 crore, while Tk 30,306.10 crore will come as project loans from the Asian Development Bank and South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund.

The route will include 13.10 kilometres of underground tracks and is scheduled to be implemented from September 2026 to August 2033.

The project will pass through Technical intersection, Kalyanpur, Shyamoli, College Gate, Asad Gate, Sukrabad, Karwan Bazar, Hatirjheel, Tejgaon, Aftabnagar, Nasirabad and Dasherkandi.

The ECNEC also approved revised cost proposals for MRT Line-1 and MRT Line-5 Northern Route, both of which were originally approved in 2019.

The revised cost of the 31.24-kilometre MRT Line-1 connecting Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with Kamalapur has been set at Tk1,14,394.89 crore, up from the original Tk52,561.43 crore.

The increase is Tk61,833.46 crore, or 117.64 percent.

Under the revised proposal, the government’s contribution will rise to Tk30,552.26 crore, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan will increase to Tk83,842.63 crore.

The revised proposal cited delays in design and tender preparation during the Covid-19 pandemic and complexities associated with implementing the country’s first underground metro rail project as some reasons for the higher cost.

Changes during detailed design included larger stations, relocation of station entrances, exits and ventilation shafts, a three-storey Rajarbagh station and around 20 kilometres of detour roads for traffic management during construction.

The cost of the 20-kilometre MRT Line-5 Northern Route from Hemayetpur to Bhatara has been revised to Tk 89,848.36 crore from Tk 41,238.54 crore, an increase of Tk48,609.82 crore, or 117.88 percent.

The government contribution will rise by 84.22 percent to Tk22,330 crore, while the JICA loan will increase by 131.89 percent to Tk67,518 crore.

Hemayetpur-Amin Bazar section of the Northern Route will be elevated, while  Amin Bazar-Bhatara section will run underground through densely populated areas.

The project was originally scheduled for completion by 2028. The revised proposal extends the completion target to 2032.

The combined original cost of MRT Line-1 and MRT Line-5 Northern Route was Tk93,799.97 crore.

Their combined revised cost now stands at Tk2,04,243.25 crore, an increase of Tk1,10,443.28 crore, or 117.74 percent.

The revised combined figure is Tk9,741.84 crore lower than the Tk2,13,985.09 crore proposed earlier by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited following a reassessment of construction, land development, buildings, electrical and mechanical systems, utility relocation and equipment costs.

The ECNEC meeting also approved other development projects from several ministries, including Roads and Highways, Defence, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Railways, Labour and Employment, and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.