Dhaka Metro Rail
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Bengali: ঢাকা মেট্রো |
| Locale | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Transit type | Rapid transit |
| Number of lines |
under construction: line 6 planned: lines 1, 5 |
| Number of stations |
under construction: 16 planned: 52 |
| Daily ridership | 2021 (projected): 483,000 |
| Headquarters | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Website | http://www.dmtc.org.bd/ |
| Operation | |
| Operation will start | late 2019[1] (estimated) |
| Operator(s) | Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd. |
| Technical | |
| System length | 20.10 km (12.49 mi)[1] (line 6) |
| Track gauge | Standard gauge |
| Electrification | 1500V DC via overhead catenary |
The Dhaka Metro (Bengali: ঢাকা মেট্রো) is an approved metro rail system under construction in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. Referred to as the MRT, from Mass Rapid Transit, the system will be accompanied by a BRT system running alongside the MRT's Line 6. Both of these have been long called for to solve the extreme amount of traffic jams and congestion that occur throughout the entire city on a daily basis, among the heaviest in the world.
Construction began on 26 June 2016 with an inauguration ceremony presided over by Sheikh Hasina.[2]
Overview
The deal for construction of the 20.1 kilometres (12.5 mi)[3] Line 6, costing $2.8 billion, was signed by the government of Bangladesh with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on 20 February 2013.[4] This first route, originally projected to start from Pallabi, a northern suburb of Dhaka, to Sayedabad, in the south of the capital,[5] was eventually extended north to Uttara and truncated south to Motijheel.[6]
All of Line 6, save for the depot, as well as some of its accompanying BRT, will be elevated above current roads, with stations also elevated. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will serve as a project consultant.[7] A video released by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company appears to show that the system plans to use smartcards.[8]
As of May 2015, soil testing for the line was completed, with construction for the first section having begun on 26 June 2016,[2] and construction for the second section planned to begin in July 2017, for planned public operation by the end of 2019 and sometime in 2020, respectively.[1][3]
Each train will hold up to 1800 passengers. With 56 trains to be in service by 2019, Dhaka Metro is projected to serve more than 60,000 passengers per hour by 2051, with wait times of approximately 4 minutes.[9] The entire route will be able to be traveled in less than 40 minutes at an average speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), expected to drastically reduce the number of private cars on Dhaka's streets as well as their potentially 7-hour-long standstills.[10]
Route alignment
Tentative alignments have been decided upon for the three initial metro lines. Only Line 6, as of 27 June 2016, has a definite station layout.
| MRT Line 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Legend
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References
- 1 2 3 "Officials hope to start operation of Dhaka metro rail project partially by end of 2019". The Daily Star. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
- 1 2 "PM opens work on metro, BRT". The Daily Star. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- 1 2 "Japan provides funds for Dhaka Metro rail system". Railway-Technology.com. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
- ↑ "Bangladesh, Japan strike deal for $2.8-bln Dhaka metro rail". GlobalPost. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- ↑ "Muhith to sit with armed forces to resolve metro rail site dispute". The Financial Express. 25 June 2011.
- ↑ "In 37 minutes". 26 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ↑ "DMRC to help build Dhaka Metro". The Times of India. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-22.
- ↑ Dhaka Metro Rail MRT Line 6 on YouTube
- ↑ http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/09/23/dhaka-metrorail-to-carry-60000-people-per-hour
- ↑ http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2012/12/22/traffic_chaos_reigns_in_bangladesh.html