Metro Rail

An epoch in city transportation

Metro Rail
Metro Rail is a mass rapid transit system that operates in urban
area where population is too densely that other modes of
transports are ineffective or inconvenient. For easy and
efficient transport of large number of people Metro Rail offers
very remarkable solution. Metro Rail can operate at grade, in
elevated sections or through a tunnel with a dedicated truck
powered mainly by electricity. Beside providing sustainable
means of transportation, Metro Rail also adds aesthetic value
to the urban areas.de1

History of Metro Rail

The first schemer or proponent of Metro Rail system is credited
to Charles person, a British lawyer and politician. As a solicitor
to London City he proposed to build a railway tunnel in 1830 to
reduce a high level of traffic congestion with carts, cabs and
omnibuses. By World War I many European cities introduced
Metro Rail system powered by electricity. Japan inaugurated
Metro Rail in1927 as the first country in Asia. India did so in 24
October 1984 in Calcutta City. In the 21 st century, china became
the world’s leader by number of rapid transit systems as well as
the fastest growth of such systems. At present Metro Rail
system is operating in 192 cities of 60 countries worldwide.

Metro Rail in Bangladesh

In prospect of making the country a developed one the
present government had initiated the project of
constructing Metro Rail system in and around Dhaka City
as part of Dhaka’s 20-year-long Strategic Transport Plan.
Bangladesh made collaboration with Japan International
cooperation Agency (JICA) to study the feasibility of
construction a Metro Rail system in 2009-2010. Dhaka
Mass Transit Company is the responsible body created by
the government to implement government plans. Metro
Rail system is planned to contain six lines of which the
MRT Line-6 is the first constructed Metro Rail in
Bangladesh stretching from Uttara to Kamalapur. A
cooperation deal of about US $2.8 billion was made with
JICA on 20 February 2013. On 26 June 2016 construction
began with the inauguration ceremony presided over by
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Metro Rail currently
operates on the Uttara-Motijheel route after second
inauguration on 4 November 2023. Under DMTCL total
length of Metro Rail line will be 129.901 km (elevated
68.729 km, underground-61.172 km). Government has
taken a long term plan to finish the project by year 2030.
Description of MRT Lines
Line Route Length(km) Station Type Finishing time
MRT-1 Airport-Kamalapur+ 31.24 21 Elevated and 2026
Notun Bazar-purbachal Underground
MRT-2 Gabtoli- 24 - Elevated and 2030
ChittagongRoad Underground
MRT-3 Kamlapur-Narayanganj 16 - Elevated 2030
MRT-4 Hemayetpur-Vatara 20 14 Elevated and 2028
Underground
MRT-5 Gabtoli- Dasherkandi 17.40 15 Elevated and 2030
Underground
MRT-6 Uttara- kamlapur 21.26 17 Elevated 2025