First metrorail coaches arrive in Dhaka

The first set of six railcars for Dhaka Metrorail has arrived in the capital.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 21 April 2021, 08:18 PM
Updated : 21 April 2021, 08:18 PM

The coaches reached the pier near the depot at Diabari on Wednesday, said MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited.

The work to unload the coaches from the vessels will begin on Thursday morning, he said.

A barge carrying two metro rail coaches lays anchor at the jetty of Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) at Uttara's Diabari, Apr 22, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Siddique hopes it will be possible to finish setting up the cars at the depot by Friday.

The Kobe-based Japanese company Kawasaki also shipped the second set on Wednesday, he said.

The 24 sets of 144 coaches are expected to arrive in time, the managing director of the government firm said.

Final trials will be held after tests.

A barge carries two train cars for the Metro Rail from the Turag River in Dhaka’s Birulia towards the jetty next to the Diabari Depot on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. The barge, carrying Bangladesh’s first metro transit vehicles, set off from Mongla Port for Dhaka on April 11. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

The metrorail project work is ongoing day and night adhering to the health rules amid the coronavirus pandemic as the government wants to launch operation on the initial 11.29-kilometre route from Uttara to Agargon in 2021, the year Bangladesh is celebrating 50 years of independence.

Achieving the first target now depends on the trials, said Siddique.

The first set of metro rail coaches is being transported on a barge to the jetty of the Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) in Uttara's Diabari via Kaundia Dhaka's on the Turag River, Apr 22, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

The authorities aim to complete the rest 10 kilometres of the route, from Agargaon to Motijheel, by 2023.

The body of the railcars is made of light and durable stainless steel, Kawasaki said earlier in a statement.

The rolling stock is equipped with indoor and outdoor CCTV cameras to check the status of passengers and platforms during one-man operation.

A barge carrying two metro rail coaches is on its way to the jetty of the Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) at Uttara's Diabari, Apr 21, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

The installed cameras will not only secure safety for onboard passengers but also for others coming in and leaving the trains and platforms.

Besides these, each car features two large-capacity air-conditioning units enabling a comfortable commute amid high temperature and humidity.