POBNEWS24, Dhaka Dec 28, 2022 : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated the much awaited metro rail of Dhaka residents. Through this, a new chapter of modern urbanization was initiated in the country. The Prime Minister inaugurated the country’s first electrified high-speed metro rail by unveiling a plaque at Uttara’s Diabari ground today at 11 am. Then he joined the Sudhi rally there.
After the rally, the Prime Minister will be the first passenger of the metro rail from Uttara to Agargaon station. Metrorail will be opened for public from tomorrow Thursday.
In a speech given on the occasion of the inauguration of Metrorail, the Prime Minister said, the symbol of pride and aspiration of Bangladesh, Metrorail is a unique milestone in the urban public transport system of Bangladesh. On this grand occasion of the inauguration, I extend my sincere greetings and congratulations to the people of the country.
time table
Air-conditioned modern train will run with passengers for the first time from Diabari in Uttara to Agargaon section in the congested capital tomorrow. People will come from Uttara to Agargaon in just 10 minutes and 10 seconds on the 1.5 km air-railway.
However, initially the Metrorail will run on a limited basis, from 8 am to 12 pm. Don’t stop in the middle. Initially the train will run every 10 minutes.
From March 26, the metro rail will run on Uttara-Agargaon route. From that day, all stations will stop and pick up passengers. When the movement starts in full swing, it will continue from dawn to 12 midnight. Passengers will stop at seven stations on the step-by-step route for passenger familiarization. It will take 17 minutes. 10 minutes of break in between. Although the maximum capacity of the train is 2 thousand 308 people, it will run with 200 passengers for now.
Metro rail will run from Uttara to Motijheel in December 2023 and from Motijheel to Kamalapur in 2025. It takes 38 minutes to reach Motijheel from Uttara. 60 thousand per hour i.e. 5 lakh passengers per day can travel on metro rail.
How much is the rent?
The metro rail fare is Tk 5 per kilometer. The minimum fare on metro rail is Tk 20. The fare from Diabari to Agargaon is 60 taka. The fare will be Tk 100 till Kamalapur. There is no half pass for students. War-victims and children less than three feet tall will not be required to rent. Passengers will get 10 percent discount if they pay the fare by smart card.
10 times fine for traveling without fare or excess. Apart from this, smoking and drinking are prohibited in trains and stations. Pets cannot be taken on the metro. There are various facilities for people with special needs. There are special facilities for women and children.
Metrorail will run on electricity. There are five alternative connections from the national grid. So there is no fear of load shedding.
How to buy tickets
There are two types of tickets in Metrorail. One long-term use MRT pass, the other can be ridden once. Initially, MRT pass will be available only on depositing certain amount from the metro rail station counter.
And tickets for one-time journey can be obtained from the counters at the station and from the automatic ‘ticket machines’ next to it. Passengers can leave the station only after returning the ticket card to the designated machine at the end of the journey.
Construction cost of Metrorail
The first plan for Metrorail was taken in 2005. Metrorail was mentioned in the Strategic Transport Plan (STP) for the capital. The total cost of Metrorail is about Tk 33 thousand 472 crores. In this, JICA is giving loans of Tk 19 thousand 675 crore 70 lakhs. The remaining 13 thousand 796 crore 29 lakh taka will be spent from government funds. The grace period of the loan is 10 years. To be repaid within 30 years.
