First set of metro trains reach Dhaka

The first set of metro trains reached Dhaka yesterday, registering a major development to the country's first ever metro rail project.

MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the implementing agency of the project, confirmed the matter to The Daily Star.

A barge carrying two of the six coaches of the train reached the newly-constructed jetty of DMTCL near the metro rail depot at capital's Diabari around 5pm, he said.

Another barge carrying four coaches reached later.

"This is major milestone for the project," he told this correspondent.

Earlier, the first consignment of metro train arrived at Mongla port from Japan on March 31. After completion of all necessary procedures there, two barges carrying the train set started for Dhaka on April 16.

The train left Port of Kobe in Japan on March 4.

The train set would be taken to the depot within two days. Then an integrated test of the coaches would be carried out. The authority has to carry out the test here, as they could not send their experts in Japan due to Covid-19 and have the inspection done there through third party.

"We have to do 19 tests, and it may take up to months. Then we will be preparing to start trial run," MAN Siddique said.

It may take six months to carry out the trial run, sources said.

Each train will have the highest capacity of 2,308 people, they said.

DMTCL in August 2017 signed a contract with Kawasaki-Mitsubishi Consortium for manufacturing 24 sets of trains for the metro rail. Five sets were manufactured within December last year.

The second set of trains was loaded to barge yesterday and likely to start for Bangladesh anytime soon, MAN Siddique said, adding that those are expected to reach the depot on June 16.

Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 or MRT-6, the country's first ever metro rail, is being built from the capital's Uttara third phase to Motijheel at the cost of Tk 22,000 crore.

Once completed, the rail service -- which has 16 stations -- will be able to carry 60,000 passengers per hour, reducing travel time from Uttara to Motijheel to at least less than an hour from the current two hours.

The original implementation period of the project was 2012-2024. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina later directed that metro services from Uttara to Agargaon be made operational by 2019, and from Agargaon to Motijheel by 2020.

Failing to meet the deadline, authorities in May 2019 said the project would be launched on December 16, 2021, as the country celebrates golden jubilee of its independence.

Planning Minister MA Mannan in February this year said the first phase -- from Uttara to Agargaon -- of the metro rail is likely to be operational in December this year. But the authorities are unlikely to meet the deadline for early commissioning of metro rail in December this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We had taken an initiative for early commissioning of [metro rail]. But it now depends on Covid-19 situation. The government may set a [fresh] deadline once the situation improves," MAN Siddique told reporters on April 8.

The overall progress of the project is at 61.49 percent till March this year.

The first phase -- from Uttara to Agargaon -- saw 83.52 percent progress, second phase -- from Agargaon to Motijheel -- witnessed 57.68 percent progress. The other part which is regarding installation of rail tracks and other equipment and procuring coaches saw 52.22 percent progress till this March, shows documents.