The Metro rail project: A video infograph

Wondering the when, how and where of the Metro rail project? Watch to find answers to all your questions about this ambitious project which is expected to provide a safe, fast, affordable and modern means of transportation. This new urban public transport service promises to significantly reduce the perennial traffic congestion in the capital and prevent environmental pollution.

The Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project, official name of the metro rail scheme, stretches from Uttara to Motijheel and is an ambitious Tk 22,000 crore ($2.5 billion) project undertaken with an aim to open half of the 20km metro line by the end of 2019.

Through the inauguration of the construction work, a formal commencement of ground development for a depot began today. The depot is the foremost component to be in place for building the metro rail service system, as metro trains will be launched on the elevated lines from the depot.

The entire metro rail route including all 16 stations will be elevated. Only the depot will be on the ground. A Japanese firm, Tokyo Construction Ltd is carrying out the depot land development work.

With every metro rail train comprising of six air-conditioned spacious cars, a city commuter will travel between Motijheel and north Uttara in 37 minutes and there will be a train every four minutes at each of the 16 stations on the way in both directions, Md Mofazzel Hossain, project director of Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project, said earlier.

Currently, city commuters spend several hours to travel from Uttara to Motijheel in snail-pace traffic. 

A total of 24 trains will together transfer 60,000 passengers every hour on both directions.

The project formalised as Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit, otherwise known as Mass Rapid Transit (identified as MRT line-6 in the Strategic Transport Plan), is being implemented by the government-owned Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd while Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority as the supervisors.