The main phase of construction work of subway (Metrorain line 1) in Dhaka is scheduled to be started in December.
For ensuring communication facility of the Dhaka commuters, the line will be directly connected to the third terminal of the airport which is under construction. After the construction work is done, it will take only 24 minutes to reach Kamlapur Rail Station from the Airport through the railroad.
The deed of the main works of the project will be signed with the construction firm on November 23. The project will start in next month with the inauguration of depot construction.
When asked, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) managing director M.A.N. Siddique told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “The main construction work of the project will start after signing the deed with the construction company on November 23. We hope the project will usher a new era in the transportation system in Dhaka upon its completion as it’ll be the first subway in the country.”
The authorities concerned said DMTCL signed a deed with a consortium of 8 companies to assure the supervision work of this project. According to that deed, the consortium led by Nippon Koi Company Limited of Japan will supervise the construction works of this 31.24 kilometers long MRT Line -1 subway.
According to the DMTCL sources, there’ll be two parts of the line. One part will be 19.87 kilometers long from Shahjalal International Airport to Kamlapur. Another part will be 11.37 kilometers long from Natunbazar to Purbachal. The deadline of the construction work is scheduled to December 2028 and the expense to be incurred is estimated to be Tk 52, 561 crore.
Among the 21 stations in the MRT line, 12 will be underground, while 12 to be elevated. Each day, 8-coached 25 trains is to be run on the line, where each train can accommodate 3,088 passengers.
The officials said after completion of the project, it will take only 24 minutes to reach Kamlapur from Dhaka Airport, 20 minute to Purbachal from Natunbazar and 40 minutes to Purbachal from Kamlapur.
According to the sources, tunnel and flyover will be constructed alongside third terminal building, which will connect Metrorail Line-1 and Dhaka Elevated Expressway. The project includes most modern fire protection system. The first phase of terminal project will not be interconnected to current terminal buildings, but in the second phase of the project, connection will be made with old terminal buildings through connecting corridor.
The works of MRT Line-1 is going on in 12 packages. Among these, the lowest bidder in Depot CP-1 had got approval of the project work. And to complete the construction work of the depot, a deed is going to be signed with Construction Company who’s in charge of construction work.
@The report published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 22, 2022 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque
