Metro rail to operate after 9pm from Wednesday

Although the number of passengers are less in Ramadan, the metro rail authorities hope the number will increase as people will go shopping during the second half of Ramadan.

As a result the authorities have decided to operate metro rail after 9:00pm from 27 March, Wednesday (16th Ramadan).

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is in charge of construction and operation of metro rail.

The agency said the metro rail will leave Motijheel at 9:40pm on 16th Ramadan and the last train will leave from Uttara 9:20pm. The trains will operate every 12 minutes during the additional period. The number of train trips will increase by ten. Currently the metro rail operates 184 trips which will increase to 194.

A decision has been taken that the metro rail will not operate on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr.

DMTCL sources said the metro rail has capacity to carry 500,000 passengers a day. For this the metro rail has to be operated every four minutes. A total of 24 sets of metro rail is also available.

Currently the metro rail operates from 7:00am to 8:40pm. During the peak hour (7:00am to 11:00am and 2:00pm to 8:00pm), the metro rail operates every 8 minutes. During the off peak hour (11:00am to 2:30pm) the metro rail operates every 12 minutes.

DMTCL sources said on an average 275,000 passengers have travelled every day for 15 days ahead of the Ramadan. But since the beginning of Ramadan, 2,35000 passengers have travelled every day on an average.

Metro rail officials believe the passengers will increase during the second half of Ramadan.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, DMTCL managing director MAN Siddique said they have a target to carry 500,000 passengers a day. So they are analysing the mode of travelling of the passengers.