The Mirpur-10 metro station records the highest number of passengers on Dhaka’s metro rail. Since its inauguration, over 17.5 million (1.75 crore) people have travelled from this station. The metro rail saw its highest passenger count in February this year, the month of the book fair.
Apart from Mirpur-10, stations with over 10 million passengers include Uttara North, Motijheel, Agargaon, Karwan Bazar, and Bangladesh Secretariat. On the other hand, Uttara South and Bijoy Sarani stations have seen the least number of passengers.
Speaking about the high passenger volume at Mirpur, Faruq Ahmed, managing director (MD) of DMTCL, told Prothom Alo that this section of the metro route passes through a very busy area. Therefore, a higher number of passengers is natural.
He also said work is underway to increase the frequency of metro services, and passenger numbers are expected to rise further in the future.
DMTCL sources say Uttara South station is located between Pallabi and Uttara Centre stations. There are very few residential areas in that stretch. This is one reason for the low passenger turnout there.
Similarly, there is a lack of significant public transport connections from areas like Mohammadpur and Lalmatia to Bijoy Sarani station, which contributes to the low passenger turnout at that station.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited ( DMTCL) is a government-owned company responsible for operating Dhaka Metro Rail, a mass rapid transit system in the Bangladeshi capital. The country’s first metro rail service was launched on 28 December 2022.
According to data from DMTCL, around 157.5 million passengers travelled by metro rail from its inauguration up to June this year. Initially, the metro operated on a limited scale. Boarding and alighting at all stations began on the last day of 2023.
The Uttara to Motijheel stretch of the metro rail is known as MRT Line-6. There are 24 metro train sets, with each set consisting six coaches, available for this line. There are 16 stations along this route.
According to the DMTCL sources, 14 trains are constantly running along the metro rail lines while three sets are kept on standby for special requirements. Each morning, one empty train runs to check whether the line and signalling systems are fully functional. The remaining six train sets remain unused.
Officials believe that reducing the interval between trains would ensure optimal use of all sets and further increase passenger numbers.
However, due to a shortage of manpower, it is not possible to operate trains more frequently or extend metro services into the night.
Official figures show the DMTCL earned around Tk 2.44 billion from selling metro rail tickets in the 2023-24 fiscal. Following the launching of the metro rail services, it earned more than Tk 220 million in the 2022-23 fiscal.
Stations with most passengers
According to DMTCL figures, from the beginning until this June, the highest 17,834,969 passengers travelled from the Mirpur-10 station. The station was damaged during the student-public uprising last year, resulting in a closure of over two months.
Had it remained operational, the number of passengers using this station would have been significantly higher, officials believe.
Metro service on the Agargaon to Motijheel stretch was launched later. The passenger turnout is comparatively higher on this section. However, according to DMTCL sources, data from the past six months also shows that Mirpur-10 station sees more passengers compared to other stations.
Mirpur-10 is a junction point. Many passengers get off there coming from Gabtoli, Mirpur-1, and Mirpur-2. It also serves as a meeting point for people from the cantonment area, Mirpur-14, and the eastern part of the city.
Additionally, the surrounding area has a high concentration of residential, business, and commercial establishments. As a result, this station sees a higher number of passengers.
The second highest 7.6 million passengers travelled from Uttara North station. On the other hand, around 16.9 million passengers have travelled from Motijheel station.
Both Motijheel and Mirpur-10 are terminal stations at either end of the metro line. One end sees the pressure of Motijheel’s office hub, while on the other, people from greater Uttara, Tongi, and even Gazipur now use this route for commuting.
According to DMTCL officials, Motijheel currently has comparatively more daily passengers. However, since metro services began from the very first day at Uttara, while Motijheel station opened nearly a year later, the total number of passengers remains higher at Uttara North station.
Beyond that, over 15.2 million passengers have travelled by metro from Agargaon station. Nearly 13.8 million passengers have used Bangladesh Secretariat station, while around 11.1 million have travelled from Karwan Bazar station.
Stations with least passengers
The Uttara North station is in operation right from the beginning. However, only around 1.15 million passengers have travelled from this station.
According to DMTCL sources, the station sees just a couple of thousand passengers a day. It is located between Pallabi and Uttara Centre stations, and there are not many residential areas nearby.
Nonetheless, officials believe passenger numbers at this station will increase in the future. After this, Bijoy Sarani station has transported the second-lowest number of passengers, with 2.6 million. There is almost no residential area around this station either.
It was said while taking up the metro rail project that people from Mohammadpur, Lalmatia and nearby places will use the Bijay Sarani station. However, there are no transport facilities connecting the stations with Mohammadpur.
Nearly 3.7 million people have used the Uttara Centre station so far. Residential areas have not fully developed around this station either, but passenger numbers are expected to rise in the future.
Besides, around five million passengers have travelled from Kazipara, while Shewrapara has seen nearly 7.6 million passengers. Shahbagh has recorded approximately 7.2 million passengers. Most of the remaining stations have each transported close to 10 million passengers.
Most passengers in February
Currently, an average of 400,000 passengers travel through the metro daily. The greatest passenger volume since its launch occurred in February, which DMTCL officials attribute mainly to the book fair.
Additionally, during that period, various groups—including professionals—regularly occupied roads across the capital, Dhaka, causing severe traffic congestion. To avoid the jams, many people used metro rail services more than normal.
According to DMTCL sources, the highest number of passengers since the launch was recorded on 27 February, when a total of 424,481 people travelled by metro. On the previous day, 409,450 passengers used the service, while on 13 February, the metro carried 403,164 passengers.
Currently, the first train from Motijheel departs at 7:30 am, and the last train leaves the station at 9:40 pm. This final train reaches Uttara North station at 10:20 pm. From Uttara, the first train departs at 7:10 am, while the last train leaves at 9:00 pm.
Currently, the headway time during peak hours is eight minutes and during off-peak hours, it is 10 minutes. On Fridays, services begin at 3:00 pm. On other public holidays, the metro runs every eight minutes during peak hours and every 12 minutes during off-peak hours.
The DMTCL officials say it has the capacity to operate trains at 3-minute intervals. In addition, the initial projection during project planning was that metro services would run from morning until midnight. However, due to a shortage of manpower, it has not been possible to operate trains more frequently or for longer hours. As a result, although there is potential to increase passenger numbers further, that opportunity is not being fully utilised.
Services closed for 37 days
The police box at the Mirpur-10 roundabout was set on fire on 18 July last year during the quota reform movement. That day, metro rail operations were suspended by the authorities at 5:00 pm.
The following day, the Mirpur-10 and Kazipara stations were vandalised. After a 37-day suspension, metro services on the Uttara to Motijheel route resumed on 25 August last year. However, Kazipara and Mirpur-10 stations remained closed at the time. Kazipara station was reopened on 20 September after nearly two months of repairs, while Mirpur-10 station reopened 2 months and 27 days after the closure.
The then Awami League government said that it would take a year to reopen the two stations after necessary repairs. The cost for the repair was estimated at Tk 3 billion.
The DMTCL sources say around Tk 20 million was spent for transferring some equipment from other stations and facilities and purchasing certain items locally to reopen the two stations. Later, a further Tk 180 million was spent to purchase additional essential equipment, including the initially relocated machinery.