The first ever metro rail service of the country is going to be officially launched on Wednesday. Initially the trains under this service will run from Uttara to Agargaon. It will take only 10 minutes and 10 seconds to travel this almost 12 kilometre distance. Amid the painful traffic congestion of Dhaka city, such a fast travelling experience will give the residents of Dhaka some relief.
The service will be available from 8.00am to 12.00pm initially. The trains will run directly from Uttara to Agargaon without any stoppage. The authorities say that the movement, speeds and stoppages of the trains will be controlled centrally through software. This system will be controlled from the operations control centre (occ) at the Diabari depot in Uttara.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is in charge of constructing and operating the metro rail service. According to the sources in the company, the trains will run at a speed of 100 km per hour where the rail line is straight on the Uttara-Agargaon route. The trains will run at a reduced speed in places where the rail line is slightly curved. The whole system is already fixed.
Speaking to Prothom Alo last night, DMTCL managing director MAN Siddique said, “It will take 10 minutes and 10 seconds to travel from Uttara to Agargon on metro rail. The speed of the train at different places on the route has been specified.”
He said they are now busy with the last moment preparations for the inaugural ceremony. The necessary instructions for the passengers will be available on the website later.
Although stones are used in normal rail lines, there are no stones on the tracks of metro rail. There are expansion joints in normal railways. However, there is no expansion joint on the track of metro rail. There are two separate tracks for the movement of the trains. There are several lines only at the stations. The service will be operated entirely on electricity and the cables run along poles on both sides of the railway line. The trains will be connected with the overhead cables.
The government has planned to construct six metro rail lines by 2030. A law has been legislated for appointing a special police force named ‘Mass Rapid Transit Police’ to ensure the security of passengers and installations. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has been given the task of ensuring security for the time being.
There will be a total of four gates on the two sides of each station. A total of eight policemen ensure security at the gates, two each in each of the gates. An officer will supervise them.
Speaking regarding this, Moudut Hawladar, officer-in-charge (OC) of the Turag police station, said there would be nine police members in each station. However, the number of police members in charge of ensuring security will be much more than that at the Agargaon and Uttara stations.
The sources in DMTCL say apart from the police, members of other law enforcement agencies will also be on duty on the day of inauguration. The trains will run with regular commuters from Thursday. From then on, the police and Ansar members will be in charge of ensuring security.
Permanent cards with 10 years validity will be issued to pay for the service. This will cost Tk 200. The card can be recharged by paying a specific amount of money. People will have to register to get the card. The concerned sources say the online link for registration will be available on the website of DMTCL from Thursday. However, registration will not be necessary for single trips. There will be a different type of card apart from the long-term cards for single trips.
The DMTCL has finalised the inaugural ceremony of the metro rail service. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will travel from Uttara to Agargaon on metro rail after finishing the formalities of the inaugural ceremony on Wednesday.
The DMTCL sources say the inaugural ceremony will be held at a playground in C-1 block of Sector 15 in Uttara. The programme will start from 11.00am. At first the prime minister will unveil a replica of the plaque followed by a gathering of eminent citizens. Apart from the guests, a large number of supporters and activists will be present there. The prime minister and concerned ministers and officials will address this session. The prime minister will also release commemorative stamps and notes at the programme.
The prime will come to the Uttara station from the venue. There she will unveil the main plaque first and then will plant trees on the station premises. Following that, she will purchase the permanent card and go to the platform. There she will give the green signal to the train waiting at the platform. After that she will travel to Agargaon on the train. It has been learnt that the prime minister may be accompanied by nearly 200 guests on the inaugural trip of the metro rail service.