During the Bangladesh Awami League government’s tenure, metro rail was added to Dhaka’s public transport system. If the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) comes to power, party chairman Tarique Rahman has said a monorail system would be introduced alongside the metro rail.
Earlier, in June, the Chattogram City Corporation also announced plans to introduce a monorail in Chattogram. Discussions are also underway about the possibility of building a monorail in Narayanganj.
With World Bank assistance, the government formulated a 20-year Strategic Transport Plan (STP) for Dhaka in 2005. Later, with Japanese funding, the STP was revised in 2014 and turned into the Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP).
Based on this plan, the previous Awami League government undertook various projects to improve Dhaka’s public transport system.
Even during the formulation of the STP, some experts had suggested introducing a monorail in Dhaka. However, the STP ultimately recommended elevated expressways, metro rail, and dedicated bus lanes (BRT).
Based on these recommendations, plans were made to construct six metro rail lines in Dhaka, one of which, stretching from Uttara to Motijheel, is already operational.
What is a monorail?
In a monorail system, trains run on a single beam, meaning two separate tracks are not required. In conventional rail or metro systems, trains operate on two tracks. Metro rail requires overhead electrical wires supported by large poles, whereas in a monorail system, the power supply mechanism is integrated into the beam itself. As a result, no additional structures such as poles or overhead wires are needed.
Monorails can be built more easily in narrow roads and densely populated urban areas. Construction costs are also comparatively lower than those of metro rail. In addition, monorails can navigate curved routes more easily. In contrast, metro rail must reduce speed on curved tracks, and accommodating such curves increases construction complexity and cost.
Metro rail is a popular mode of transport in major cities around the world. In Europe and the United States, metro systems are mostly underground. Countries such as China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates operate monorails alongside metro rail systems. However, monorails have a lower passenger-carrying capacity compared to metro rail.
A complement to metro rail
Both metro rail and monorail are forms of mass transit. The key question is: what advantages does monorail offer for Dhaka city? Dhaka is densely populated and has grown in an unplanned manner. As a result, metro rail cannot be constructed on all routes. For example, in many areas of Old Dhaka, even buses cannot operate due to narrow roads.
Experts say that building metro rail in such areas would require underground construction, which is extremely expensive and risky. In contrast, monorail systems can be built relatively easily in these areas.
Monorail may not be suitable for every city. For example, Jakarta in Indonesia had to abandon its monorail project because it could not handle passenger demand. However, monorail systems are operating successfully in many cities around the world. In India’s Mumbai, monorail operates alongside metro rail.
Public transport expert and BUET civil engineering professor Shamsul Haque told Prothom Alo that the Uttara–Motijheel corridor is the most straightforward and suitable route for metro rail in Dhaka due to high passenger demand. Even so, fares had to be set higher than in neighbouring countries because of high construction costs.
Most sections of the upcoming metro rail lines will be underground, further increasing costs. “Will fares be raised even more then?” he asked. “If so, can it still be considered public transport?”
Professor Shamsul Haque further said monorail should be considered as an alternative alongside metro rail, particularly to connect narrow and densely populated areas.
He cited an example: the existing metro rail makes a wide turn between Bijoy Sarani and Khamarbari stations, requiring entry into the parliament area. A monorail could have followed the main road with a curved alignment, reducing costs.
Cost: the biggest question for metro and monorail
The construction cost of Dhaka’s first metro line was around Tk 15 billion per kilometre, and the entire line is elevated. Currently, projects are underway for metro lines from Kamalapur to the airport and from Norda to Purbachal.
Another line is planned from Hemayetpur in Savar through Mirpur and Gulshan to Bhatara. Portions of these lines will be elevated, while others will be underground. The per-kilometre cost of these two metro lines is expected to exceed Tk 30 billion.
In Mumbai, India, a 20-kilometer monorail was built at a cost of Tk 32.83 billion, or Tk 1.64 billion per kilometre. By comparison, metro rail construction in India typically costs Tk 4–5 billion per kilometre.
Mumbai’s monorail can carry 150,000 to 200,000 passengers daily, while Dhaka’s metro rail carries an average of around 400,000 passengers per day. Dhaka’s metro rail project cost Tk 334.72 billion.
Egypt’s 96-kilometer monorail project has an estimated cost of USD 4.5 billion, or nearly USD 50 million per kilometre, which is roughly equivalent to Tk 6 billion per kilometre in Bangladeshi currency.