Metro rail extension works in northern route is underway: officials

“The development of the (new) route is divided under 10 packages and works are going on to construct the 20 kilometer underground and over ground (elevated) route is underway,” an official overseeing the Mass Rapid Transit Line-5 said.

He said right now land development work of Hemayetpur Depot was proceeding fast by now nearly 78 percent of the task was completed.

The official said the route was expected to be opened by 2030 while land acquisition process for the main tracks and stations were underway.

According to project details of the route, officially called Northern Route, would be the Dhaka's first east-west metro rail with an aim to carry 1.23 million passengers daily through 14 stations with nine being underground ones.

The journey time from Bhatara to Hemayetpur near Savar would be 32 minutes while one no needs to exhaust hours to travel from one destination to another because of complicated road networks and traffic congestion.

Each of the electrically-run metro train would have a capacity to carry 3088 people and in every hour the carriages could carry 53,200 passengers in both directions in the 20-kilometre route of which 13.50 kilometres would be underground.

The underground stations are to be constructed at Gabtoli, Darus Salam, Mirpur-1, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-14, Kachukhet, Banani, Gulshan-2 and Natunbazar while the elevated ones are Hemayetpur, Baliarpur, Bilamalia, Amin Bazar and Bhatara.

Officials said the basic design and land acquisition work for Hemayetpur depot was completed by now.

Experts and the government estimated cost of MRT Line-5 is Taka 41,238.55 crore, of which Taka 29,117.05 crore will come from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as assistance and Taka 12,121.50 crore from the government.

MRT Line 5 Project Director Abdul Matin Chowdhury told BSS they kept a high priority on quality of construction works and equipment.

“We will not compromise quality of the construction work and equipment,” he said adding the authorities would use modern and environment friendly equipment avoid pollution and other noise.

The project officials said they would use “continuous welded rail” (CWR) and develop sound barrier walls on both sides of viaducts in the elevated part of the route to keep noise and vibration levels below standard limits, reports BSS.