The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: The much awaited first ever elevated metro rail is ready for commercial operation as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to inaugurate the metro rail on December 28. “Dhaka is the second largest city in South Asia and the seventh largest in the world in terms of population. And the capital city is getting the most modern transportation system with metro rail for commuters,” Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique told BSS on Sunday. He said the metro rail will reduce public suffering, which will be able to transport of more passengers in less time with comfortable means.

Currently, the authorities of the metro rail are busy giving the finishing touches to stations, stairs, escalators, vending machines, ticketing systems, fresh rooms, platforms, elevators, CCTV cameras, waiting rooms and others for providing facilities as per the international standard. Meanwhile, a trial run is going on from Uttara to Agargaon. Common people believe that along with the reduction of traffic congestion in the capital, revenue collection will increase through the launch of metro rail after the Padma Bridge. According to the project details, initially, some 10 sets of trains having six coaches will run from Uttara to Agargaon. If one of the 10 sets of trains goes out of service, the remaining two will run as support. For the time being, the train will run on this route slowly. However, if the train starts at full speed, one train will run every three and a half minutes. How long the train will stay at a station has not been decided yet. At each station, the train will wait till the boarding and alighting of passengers are completed. Each train can run at a speed of 100 to 110 km with 2,300 passengers. However, the speed will be lower in areas with bends.

Common people said around 23,000 people are living in every square kilometre of the capital city, which has 306 square kilometres. As a result, traffic congestion is a common phenomenon in the city. They said three political parties have ruled the country for several periods after independence. None of the parties made much progress at the district or divisional level. As a result, the country’s major industries have developed in the capital. Every year, thousands of common people rush to Dhaka from villages for livelihood. After assuming power in 2009, the Awami League government took various initiatives to reduce the pressure on the capital. Initiatives were taken to build metro rail across the capital to ease traffic congestion, according to the project details. It said that according to the government announcement, one of the three parts of the metro rail is going to be inaugurated this month of victory (December). Now it is only a matter of time to wait for the train to run from Diabari, Uttara to Agargaon.

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. Earlier, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that the elevated metro rail will reduce pressure on roads. Stakeholders said that the 11.73 km section of the metro rail project from Uttara Diabari to Agargaon will be inaugurated on December 28. Later, the second section from Agargaon to Motijheel and the third section from Motijheel to Kamalapur railway station will be launched in phases. They said that metro rail will be launched from Agargaon to Motijheel in December of next year. Bangladesh is set to embark on a new era of commuting with a new mode of transport hitherto unseen on the land-the elevated metro rail of Dhaka. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been constructing the metro rail and providing soft loans to the project. The JICA gave Taka 19,500 crore for the project.