Over 92% work of metro rail Agargaon-Motijheel part completed

The overall civil work progress of the metro rail Agargaon-Motijheel section is now over 92% as 88.22% installation work of electrical and mechanical system and rolling stock depot equipment collection has already been completed, an official said.

"Under the package-5, the viaduct construction on 3.195 km Agargaon-Karwan Bazar route and building 3 stations is on as construction of other viaducts and platforms of the stations has already been completed," said the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) Managing Director MAN Siddique.

Talking to BSS, he said the construction of entry/exit and stations, plumbing (MEP) as well as architectural, mechanical and electrical work are in progress under the package.

Roof-sheet installation was completed at the Farmgate and Karwan Bazar stations while the roof-sheet installation work of the Bijoy Sarani station is going on, he said.

"The overall progress of the package from Agargaon to Karwan Bazar has stood 91.98 percent," he added.

Siddique said the actual work of package-6 (from Karwan Bazar to Shahbagh) had started on 1 August, 2018 and construction of the viaducts and platforms of the stations has been completed.

The construction of Entry/exit and stations as well as mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and architectural work are progressing, he said, adding that roof-sheet installation work of Shahbagh, University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Secretariat stations have been completed.

Besides, the roof-sheet installation work is going on at the Motijheel station and the overall progress of the package is 92.14%.

Under package-7, the overall progress of the electrical and mechanical system delivery and construction work is 90.93%, while the work of the package started on 11 July, 2018.

The laying of railway tracks and electrical and machinery installation work in the depot area has been completed and commissioned.

Construction of the Motijheel Receiving Sub-Station (RSS) building, installation of all electrical equipment and 132 KV cable laying work have been completed, Siddique said.

Construction of 16.19-km track of the rail line and OCS (OSIsoft Cloud Services) portal has already been accomplished from Agargaon to Motijheel part as out of 19.89 km of OCS wiring, 15.65 km of wiring has been completed, he said.

Under package-8, the MRT authority brought 21 sets of train out 24 sets, while 22nd and 23rd sets are on the way to Bangladesh from Japan.

The procurement and equipment collection work of this package started on 13 September, 2017.

Besides, the last 24th set of trains is likely to start the journey from Kobe seaport in Japan in the second week of February this year, which will arrive at Mongla port in the last week of March 2023.

The project details said the metro rail is likely to carry 60,000 passengers per hour after opening the entire route of 21.26 km from Uttara to Motijheel-Kamalapur Railway Station in less than 40 minutes.

The total 21.26-kilomtere metro rail - Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6) - is being built under eight packages from Uttara to Kamlapur, Siddique said.

The actual work of package-1 started from September 8 2016, which was completed on 31 January, 2018, 9 months before the scheduled date. The project authority saved the government exchequer of Tk70.58 crore.

"Following the instructions of the prime minister, contract for construction of the extension of MRT Line-6 from Motijheel to Kamalapur (1.16 km) was signed with construction firm on November 28, 2022," said a project official familiar with the process.

The actual work of package-2 began on 13 September, 2017 and all 52 infrastructures inside the depot were completed on 20 June, 2022.

According to the project details, under package-3 and 4, contractors stated work on 1 August 2017 for 11.73km viaduct from Uttar to Agargaon and construction of 9 stations while the combined actual progress of the two packages were 99.25%.

Construction work of entry/exit of Shewrapara Station is going on while road repair from Pallabi to Agargaon and tree plantation work is also going on in the median.