Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has appointed consultant companies at a cost of Tk 1,517.24 crore to supervise the country’s first-ever underground metro rail project known as Mass Rapid Transit Line-1 (MRT Line-1).
Nippon Koei Co Limited (Japan) will lead the joint venture firm comprising Oriental Consultants Global Co Limited (Japan), SYSTRA SA (France), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (India), Nippon Koei India Private Limited, Katahira and Engineers International (Japan), Development Design Consultants Limited (Bangladesh) and Nippon Koei Bangladesh Limited.
A contract was signed by DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique at an event in the capital on Sunday. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader was present as the chief guest at the programme.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is financing MRT Line-1, scheduled to be completed by 2026.
The project cost has been estimated at Tk 52,561.43 crore. The Bangladesh government will provide Tk 13,111 crore of the cost while Tk 39,450 crore will come from JICA.
Trains will run on MRT Line-1 from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur in 24 minutes, including stops at 12 underground stations. Twenty-five trains will run at the speed of 90 kilometres per hour and carry eight lakh passengers daily.
According to the Revised Strategic Transport Plan, MRT Line-1 will be divided into Airport and Purbachal routes.
The Airport route will run from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur via the airport’s third terminal, Khilkhet, Jamuna Future Park, Natun Bazar, Badda, Hatirjheel, Rampura, Malibagh, and Rajarbagh.
The project’s underground part will cover 16.5 kilometres. The Natun Bazar station will be inter-connected to MRT Line-5.
The Purbachal section of MRT Line-1 will run from Natun Bazar to Purbachal terminal via Bashundhara, Jamuna Future Park, Police Officers Housing Society, Mastul, Purbachal Pashchim, Madhya Purbachal, and Purbachal Sector 7.
This 10km section will have nine stations, including Natun Bazar and Jamuna Future Park underground stations belonging to the Airport route. The Bashundhara to Purbachal section will be elevated and have seven stations.
