Metro Rail extension to Kamalapur is not far

Md Mohsin Hossain lives in Kazipara, Mirpur, in Dhaka. Once a week, he travels to his hometown in Brahmanbaria. He takes the metro from Kazipara Station to Motijheel Station, then hires a rickshaw for Tk 50 to reach Kamalapur, where he boards either a bus or a train. He follows the same route in reverse when returning home.

Mohsin Hossain told Prothom Alo, "Once the metro rail starts operating up to Kamalapur, I will save both time and money. I am eagerly waiting for the metro service to reach Kamalapur."

Many commuters share his anticipation. The authorities plan to begin metro rail operations between Motijheel and Kamalapur in January next year.

However, the initial operation will be without passengers, as the service will begin on a trial basis. The authorities plan to launch commercial passenger services to Kamalapur three months later, in April.

According to sources at the metro rail authority, construction of the elevated viaduct between Motijheel and Kamalapur has been completed.

The Kamalapur metro station has also been built. Workers are now installing tiles and granite, carrying out painting, and completing other finishing work.

However, installation of the railway track and electrical systems has only recently begun. These activities fall under the electro-mechanical package, which includes power supply, signalling systems and railway track installation.

The government approved the extension of the metro rail to Kamalapur in 2022.

The original plan was to open this section in June 2025. In 2023, the authorities appointed contractors to construct the elevated viaduct and the Kamalapur station.

Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, based in Thailand, is carrying out the civil construction work on the Motijheel–Kamalapur section under a contract worth Tk 5.11 billion (511 crore). The company has engaged MacDonald Steel of Bangladesh as its local partner.

The appointment of a contractor for the electro-mechanical works took longer. During the previous Awami League government, the contractor submitted a bid of Tk 6.51 billion (651 crore) for the work.

After the interim government assumed office, it pressed the contractor to reduce the project cost.

Following negotiations, the contract value was reduced by Tk 1.86 billion (186 crore). Last year, the authorities awarded the contract to the Indian company Larsen & Toubro for Tk 4.65 billion (465 crore).

The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is responsible for constructing and operating the metro rail system in Dhaka.

According to the organisation's latest monthly report, work on the Motijheel–Kamalapur section had reached 78.38 per cent completion by the end of June.

The original projection estimated that the metro line between Uttara and Motijheel would carry 500,000 passengers each day.

At present, however, more than 400,000 passengers use the metro daily. Once the extension to Kamalapur opens, daily ridership is expected to increase to 677,000 passengers.

The Motijheel–Kamalapur extension has been divided into two project packages. The civil works package covers construction of the elevated viaduct and the Kamalapur station.

Before train operations can begin, the authorities must complete seven additional components: railway track installation, lifts, escalators, display monitors, platform screen doors aligned with the train doors, signalling systems, and automated fare collection equipment.

The project also includes the installation of substations and the electrical infrastructure required to operate both the trains and the station building.

All these activities fall under a single electro-mechanical package. No additional trains or rolling stock will be required for the extension, as 24 train sets have already been imported.

According to DMTCL sources, work to install the railway track, power poles and overhead electrical wiring on the Motijheel–Kamalapur section began on 4 July.

The authorities plan to complete this work by August. However, installation of the signalling system, automated fare collection and station access system, and platform screen doors will require additional time.

All the equipment for these systems will come from Nippon Signal Co., Ltd. of Japan. The authorities have already placed the orders.

However, because many countries are currently seeking similar equipment, Bangladesh has not yet received its consignment.

If the arrival of the Japanese equipment is delayed for any reason, the authorities may ensure the commencement of trial operations by temporarily using equipment installed at other metro stations as an alternative.

However, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) expects to receive the required equipment before January.

Sources concerned said that two months of trial operations would normally have been sufficient.

However, because the metro currently operates passenger services between Uttara and Motijheel, conducting trial runs during the daytime is not feasible.

Instead, testing along the full Uttara–Kamalapur route will take place after midnight, once regular passenger services have ended. As a result, completing the trial operation will require a longer period.

Mohammad Abdul Wahab, project director of the Uttara–Kamalapur Metro Rail Construction Project, told Prothom Alo, "We are moving forward with the goal of launching passenger services to Kamalapur in the first week of April next year. If everything proceeds according to plan, trial operations will begin in January." He added, "Work on the remaining section between Motijheel and Kamalapur is progressing at full pace."

The Uttara–Agargaon section of Dhaka's first metro rail began operations on 28 December 2022. The Agargaon–Motijheel section followed on 4 November 2023.

The official name of the metro line running from Uttara to Kamalapur is MRT Line-6. The distance from Uttara to Motijheel is 20.1 kilometres, while the full distance to Kamalapur is 21.26 kilometres, making the extension 1.16 kilometres long. The complete Uttara–Kamalapur route will include 17 stations.

When the project received approval in 2012, its estimated cost stood at Tk 219.85 billion (21.985 crore). The total project cost has since increased to Tk 334.72 billion (33.472 crore).

Bangladesh has secured a loan of Tk 197.18 billion (19.718 crore) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to finance the project.

According to DMTCL sources, the authorities also plan to extend the metro rail from Uttara to Tongi in the future.

This extension would add approximately 7.5 kilometres to the line and include five new stations. However, the government has not yet approved a project for this extension.

The government plans to construct six metro rail lines across Dhaka with a combined length of approximately 140 kilometres. The network will integrate the individual lines into a comprehensive metro rail system.

Construction is already under way on two additional metro rail projects: one connecting Kamalapur with Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and another running from Savar to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur and Gulshan.

The government has also approved a project to construct another metro rail line from Gabtoli to Dasherkandi via Mohammadpur and Karwan Bazar.

In addition, the current BNP government plans to integrate several monorail routes with the metro rail network.