Power outage disrupts Dhaka metro rail service

Trains are running on a single line and only passengers with MRT passes are able to travel

Adverse weather due to cyclonic storm Remal has caused a power outage that disrupted Dhaka metro rail service for two and a half hours. Afterwards, trains started running on a single line, but passengers were still delayed.

“Train service stopped soon after the first train left Uttara station in the morning due to a power failure,” said Additional Superintendent of MRT Police Mahmud Khan.

“Trains began running on the Motijheel to Uttara line from 10:30am. Trains are departing at 20-minute intervals. Metro rail workers are working to fix the issue.”

Though trains are running on one line, only passengers with MRT passes are able to travel as tickets are not being issued to regular passengers from counters. As a result, passengers are facing problems at different stations.

The ticket counters at Mirpur-10 station were closed, but passengers were standing in line.

Jahid Hossain, a passenger who came to the station at 10:15am to try and reach Paltan, said, “I have been waiting for a long time. The train isn’t coming. Nobody’s saying when it will come.”

Atiqur Rahman said he had tried to board the train, but was unable to.

“I came to the station at 10am and heard the train had stopped. They said the metro rail was closed due to the bad weather so I got down and am going by bus.”

The Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Company Limited, which manages the metro rail, did not have a statement on the issue. MAN Siddique, the company’s managing director, did not pick up the phone when called.