Final decision has been taken to construct five routs of the Metro rail under the Mass Rapid Transit Line. Alongside lines 1, 2, 4 and 5, five underground metro rail routes will be constructed.
Already, 62.172 km road of the four routes has been finalised. But the span of the elevated and underground train has not been finalised as yet. Relevant people say that once the project is finalised, traffic control will be easy.
MD of Dhaka Mass Transit Company ltd, M A Siddique, said: “To increase connectivity between the city’s east to west, initiative has been taken to construct metro rail line-5.”
Two routes have been fixed through this line – one is south and the other, the north route. Under north route, around 20 km line, comprising both elevated and underground rail, will be constructed by 2028.
The route is from Hemayetour in Savar to Bhatara.
The possible cost of the north route is Tk 412.61 billion; the underground rail length will be 13.50 km with the elevated one at 6.50 km.
There will be 14 stations, 9 underground and five elevated. Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project is assessing the feasibility of line-5.
This will have 17.40 km route from Gabtali to Dasherkandi. The route will be Gabtoli, Kalyanpir, Shyamoli, College Gate, Asad Gate, Russell Square, Panthapath, Sonargaon, Hatirjheel, Niketan, Rampura, Aftabnagar, Aftabnagar east and Dasherkandi.
Under MRT line -2, 24 km line will be constructed by 2030 from Gabtali to Chattogram Road. For this, an MoU was signed between Bangladesh and Japan on Jun 15, 2017.
This line route is Gabtoli, Mohammadpur, Jigatola, Science Lab, Nilkhet, Azimpur, Palashi, Shaheed Minar, Dhaka Medical College, Golap Shah Mazaar, Banga Bazaar north, Motijhleel, Arambagh, Kamlapur, Mughda, Chattogram Road.
Through MRT line-4, 16 km of underground rail will connect Narayanganj with Kamlapur.
The airport route will be 19.872 km with 12 stations. Work for this will finish by 2026.
The Purbachal route will be 11.369 km with 9 stations and this will be elevated with an expected cost of Tk 519 billion. A loan agreement with Japan has been signed on May 29 in Japan at the presence of PM Sheikh Hasina for Tk 38.95 billion, to be used to construct a section of the line
MD of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, M A Siddique, said: “The government has plans to set up a strong metro rail operation with six routes by 2030; along with elevated rails, there will be underground ones.”
Roads and bridges minister, Obaidul Quader, added: “Only MRT line-6 won’t ease traffic jams; work for all six lines has to be completed and hopefully, construction will be done by 2030.”