Three more metro train sets are being manufactured

Three more metro train sets are being manufactured for the country's first elevated metro rail system in Osaka, Japan as two sets of train have been completed last month.

"Manufacturing of the first metro train set having six passenger coaches was completed in the first week of April this year," Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique told BSS here today.

He said the second train set was also manufactured in the first week of September and manufacturing of three more sets are progressing fast in Japan.

"We will start integrated test and trial run in phases after bringing all train sets in the country. Mock up train was already brought at Uttara depot," Siddique said.

According to the project details, around 10.90-kilometer viaduct, partial structure of the 20.1-kilometre-long metro rail system for Dhaka city, became visible between Uttara and Agargaon.

It said sub-structure of nine stations was completed, while concourse roofs of Uttara Centre and Uttara South were finished. Construction of concourse roofs of Uttara North, Pallabi, Kazipara and Shewrapa stations is going on. Construction of platforms of Uttara North, Uttara South and Uttara Centre were underway. Steel structure erection works are also going on.

The project details said the overall physical progress of the first phase construction from Uttara to Agargaon is 76.37 percent and second phase progress from Agargaon to Motijheel is 43.46 per cent, while the overall progress stood at 50.40 percent.

It said besides, of the six coaches one each coach will be reserved for women only, but men and women can move together on the train.

Siddique said workforce engaged in the MRT Line-6 construction works are being checked for Covid-19 symptoms at the primary stage and the secondary stage, selected personnel are being tested for Covid-19 through dedicated sample collection centers for the project.

In order to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a 10-bed isolation center (Field Hospital) at the Gabtoli construction site and a 13-bed isolation center (Field Hospital) at Uttara Ponchoboti construction yard were constructed, he said, adding that if necessary, more residential establishments will be built.

The persons infected with Covid-19 were kept under home or institutional quarantine and if needed, they were admitted to a dedicated hospital. Only persons with Covid-19 negative were selected and kept under group quarantine for 14 days.

The project details said 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.

The iconic stations will be at Diabari, Mirpur and Motijheel, while others stations will be constructed ordinarily.

"If everything goes normal, people of the capital will be able to travel from Diabari to Motijheel on the dream metro rail before scheduled time," the managing director said.