By Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo

DHAKA, Dec 9, 2022 (BSS) - The much awaited first ever elevated metro rail is ready for commercial operation between Uttara and Agargaon section this month.

"We're ready for commercial operation of the much awaited metro rail and hope that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the metro rail this month," Dhaka Mass Transit Company Managing Director MAN Siddique told BSS today.

"With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's sincere and relentless efforts, the city dwellers are getting the latest mode of transport from the month of victory," he said.

The managing director said the metro rail will alleviate sufferings of commuters as it will be able to transport more passengers in a less time with comfortable means.

Talking to BSS, Project Director of MRT Line-6 Md Aftabuddin Talukder said that a summery for Prime Minister's schedule for inaugurating the metro rail was sent to the Prime Minister's Office.

He said that the metro rail will be able to carry 60 thousand passengers per hour and half a million passengers per day and one train will arrive at each station every four minutes.

According to the metro rail official, about 95 percent of the construction work from Uttara to Agargaon has been completed and this section of the metro rail will completely be ready for commercial operation within this month.

All civil works, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), architectural, firefighting system, diesel generator, sewerage treatment plant (STP) and light setting activities have been completed, he said.

Escalator installation for Shewrapar station's one side exit/entry is going on, while testing and commission of MEP work is at last stage. The coordinated and real progress of the two packages (CP-03 and 04) rose to 97.60 percent.

Earlier, the managing director said that the train has already started its blank operation (moving without passengers) in early this month.

The monthly progress report of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company revealed that the MRT line 6 project progressed 84.22 percent overall till the end of November this year, while the Agargaon to Motijheel portion advanced 84.87 percent. The work for utility verification of the Motijheel to Kamlapur portion is expected to start soon.

The MRT line-6 will significantly reduce the use of smaller vehicles and the use of fossil fuels will be drastically reduced. Working hours of the city people will be saved. The saved working hours can be used for the socio-economic development of the country. Traffic congestion will also be reduced. The project will save Taka 20,000 a year, equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 17 per cent of the total tax revenue.

Since metro rail is fully electric, no fossil fuel will be used. As a result, there is no chance of air pollution. There will be a Mass Spring System (MSS) under the Railway Track of Metro Rail. Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) will be used. There will be sound barrier walls on both sides of the viaduct of the flying Metrorail.

 As a result, noise and vibration levels in metro rail will be well below the norm. It will not contribute to the overall environmental pollution but will play a significant role in ecological development. Besides, special seats for babies, pregnant women and elderly passengers will be reserved inside the coaches of the metro train.

There will be ticket booths at relatively low altitudes so that wheelchair users and short people can easily collect tickets through Ticket Office Machine (TOM). Similarly, wheelchair users will be able to collect their tickets automatically using Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). Wheelchair users will have easy access to the paid zone and a wide gate for automatic fare adjustment in keeping with the wheelchair for exit.