Metro Line-2, -4: Japan, S Korea, WB show interests

Japan, South Korea and the World Bank have expressed interests in financing the preparatory works for two more metro rail lines, said the authorities.

Mass Rapid Transit lines 2 and 4 will link Narayanganj with the capital.

Besides, the metro authorities said they have planned to start a pre-feasibility study to expand MRT Line-6 up to Tongi from Uttara, along with feasibility studies of the two lines.

"Japan, Korea and the World Bank have expressed interests in funding the studies for MRT Line-2 and -4. They also showed interests in investment projects. However, nothing has been finalised yet," MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd, told The Daily Star yesterday.

DMTCL, a state-run company, is the implementing and operating agencies of all metro rail projects.

In the first phase, the government plans to build around 140km metro rail network with six lines crisscrossing Dhaka and adjacent areas by 2030.

Country's first metro rail line -- MRT Line-6 -- partially came into operation between Uttara and Agargaon in December last year while physical works of MRT Line-1 began in February this year.

Physical works of MRT Line-5 (northern route) are expected to start July this year while the preparatory works of MRT Line-5 (southern route) are going on with the funding of Asian Development Bank.

MRT Line-6, which will be 21.26km rail line from Uttara to Motijheel, is being implemented at a cost of Tk 33,472 crore.

MRT Line-1, the 31.24km line with the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur section underground and Notun Bazar to Purbachal section elevated, is being constructed at a cost of Tk 52,561.43 crore.

MRT Line-5 (northern route) will be a 20km line from Savar's Hemayetpur to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur, and Gulshan. The project cost is Tk 41,239 crore.

The three projects are being implemented with Japanese soft loan.

MRT Line-5 (southern route), which will be 17.3km long from Gabtoli to Dasherkandi via, Shyamoli, Panthapath, Karwan Bazar, Rampura and Aftabnagar, is expected to be done with the funding of ADB.

MRT LINE-2

MRT Line-2 was supposed to be constructed from Gabtoli to Chittagong Road on Dhaka-Chattogram highway via Basila, Mohammadpur, Jigatola, Science Lab, Nilkhet, Azimpur, Central Shaheed Minar, Gulistan, Motijheel, Kamalapur, Mugda, and Demra, under the government to government Public-Private Partnership model with Japan.

But later the mode of finance was changed and the route from Kamalapur was also changed.

Now the route from Kamalapur would be Damripara-Signboard-Narayanganj. It would have a branch line from Gulistan to Sadarghat. The project's total length would be 35km, which was 24km before.

MRT Line-4

As per the earlier decision, the line was supposed to be from Kamalapur to Narayanganj that will go under Dhaka-Narayanganj rail line. But now the 16km line would go up to Narayanganj's Madanpur from Kamalapur.

SECOND PHASE

Meanwhile, the metro authorities have a plan to expand the rail network and connect more areas with the capital in the second phase. They want to start preliminary works like pre-feasibility studies after preparatory works for MRT Line-2 and-4 are done.

In the phase, MRT Line-6 is supposed to be expanded up to Gazipur from Uttara and Diabari to airport. MRT Line-1 is expected to be stretched up to Madhabdi of Narsingdi and Keraniganj.

MRT Line-5 (northern route) is expected to be expanded up to Baipail of Savar and MRT Line-5 (southern route) up to Bhulta of Narayanganj.

"We plan to start a pre-feasibility study for expanding the MRT Line-6 from Uttara to Tongi, along with the feasibility studies of MRT Line-2 and-4," said MAN Siddique.

Citing ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, secretary of road transport and highways division, different media reported that Japan would assist in the expansion work of MRT Line-6 from Uttara to Tongi.

Contacted, he said yesterday that Japan would provide overall cooperation in all metro rail projects under a memorandum of cooperation signed during the prime minister's recent visit there.