First Metro Rail coaches to be sent to Mongla from Kobe on Feb 23

GBNEWS24 DESK//

The authorities of Metro Rail expect that the first rail coaches will be shipped for Mongla Port from Kobe Port on February 20 after a third party inspection in Japan.

“We are going to bring metro rail coaches from Japan after carrying out a third party inspection because of travel restriction,” Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique told BSS in Dhaka on Saturday.

He said the inspection work is being carried out in Japan by a reputed international company, adding, “The first set will arrive at Uttara Depot in Dhaka on April 23 and the second set will be shipped on April 15 from Kobe Port.”

According to the project details, integrated tests of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 will be carried out before formal operation and the trial runs will also be carried out after integrated test of the metro rail sets.

“If everything is completed properly, the construction company will start shipment of the metro rail from there to Bangladesh. We will also carry out trial runs in our country,” the managing director said.

He said workers and experts have been working to set up rail track on six lines abiding by the health guidelines strictly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the project details, the overall physical progress of the first phase construction, from Uttara to Agargaon, is 76.50 percent, while the progress on the second phase of construction, from Agargaon to Motijheel, is 55.97 percent. Coordinated progress of electrical and mechanical system reached 58.70 percent, while collection of rolling stock (rail coach) and depot equipment progress rose to 37 percent.

The length of the metro rail route up to Motijheel was 20.10 km. But now it has been extended to Kamalapur Railway Station by 1.16 km. As a result, the number of stations was also increased to 16.

There will be a total of 16 stations on the 21 km route of the Mass Rapid Transit-MRT Line-6. The stations are: Uttara North, Uttara Center, Uttara South, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon, Bijoy Sarawni, Framgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbag, Dhaka University, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel.