Metro rail extension works in northern route is underway: Officials

Works for extending the crucial metro rail service to connect the densely populated Bhatara area with Hemayetpur area on the capital’s outskirts is underway.

“The development of the (new) route is divided into 10 packages, and works are going on to construct the 20-kilometre underground and overground (elevated) route is underway,” an official overseeing the Mass Rapid Transit Line-5 said.

He said that right now, land development work of Hemayetpur Depot was proceeding fast and nearly 78% of the task was completed.

The official said the route was expected to be opened by 2030 while the land acquisition process for the main tracks and stations was underway.

According to project details of the route, officially called the Northern Route, it would be Dhaka’s first east-west metro rail with an aim to carry 12.3 lakh passengers daily through 14 stations, with nine being underground ones.

The journey time from Bhatara to Hemayetpur near Savar would be 32 minutes, while one does not need to spend hours to travel from one destination to another because of complicated road networks and traffic congestion.

Each of the electrically-run metro trains would have a capacity to carry 3088 people, and every hour the carriages could carry 53,200 passengers in both directions in the 20-kilometre route, of which 13.50 kilometres would be underground.

The underground stations are to be constructed at Gabtoli, Darus Salam, Mirpur-1, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-14, Kachukhet, Banani, Gulshan-2 and Natunbazar, while the elevated ones are Hemayetpur, Baliarpur, Bilamalia, Amin Bazar and Bhatara.

Officials said the basic design and land acquisition work for the Hemayetpur depot were completed by now.

Experts and the government estimated the cost of MRT Line-5 is Tk41,238.55 crore, of which Tk29,117.05 crore will come from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as assistance and Tk12,121.50 crore from the government.

MRT Line 5 Project Director Abdul Matin Chowdhury told BSS they kept a high priority on the quality of construction works and equipment.

“We will not compromise the quality of the construction work and equipment,” he said, adding the authorities would use modern and environmentally friendly equipment to avoid pollution and other noise.

The project officials said they would use “continuous welded rail” (CWR) and develop sound barrier walls on both sides of viaducts in the elevated part of the route to keep noise and vibration levels below standard limits.