Dhaka Metro Rail
The Dhaka Metro Rail (), or simply the Dhaka Metro, is a mass rapid transit system serving Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It is owned and operated by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). Together with the proposed Dhaka subway, it is expected to reduce traffic congestion in the city. It is part of the Strategic Transport Plan outlined by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA). The network is planned to contain six lines, with the first section of MRT Line 6 commencing commercial operations on 29 December 2022, and the second section on 5 November 2023, with the other lines being either in planning or under construction. The third phase, which will have an interchange with Line 1, Line 2 and Line 4, is set to be completed by 2026. Further expansion of MRT Line 6 is planned, with the hope of extending it towards Tongi in Gazipur metropolitan and Savar Upazila. History 
In an effort to implement Dhaka's 20-year-long Strategic Transport Plan, the Government of Bangladesh invited the Japan International Cooperation Agency to conduct a primary survey and feasibility study on the transport system of Dhaka in 2009–2010. In 2012, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project. A loan agreement between the Bangladeshi government and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency was signed in January 2013. Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, the agency responsible for the implementation of the first metro line, was formed in January 2013. The General Consultant, namely the NKDM Association, commenced work beginning in February 2014. In June 2013, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited was established by the Government to implement the Metro Rail Lines across the city. History of MRT Line-6

Construction 
The deal for construction of the MRT Line-6, costing US$2.8 billion, was signed by the Government of Bangladesh with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on 20 February 2013. Construction began on 26 June 2016 with an inauguration ceremony presided over by the prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Civil engineering work was done by the Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd. and China's Sinohydro Corporation Ltd. JV, and a Tokyo-based construction company developed the depot's land. Construction work was divided into eight packages, covering aspects like depots, stations and rolling stock. Planning
When construction commenced in 2016, the Metro Rail was expected to open by the end of 2019. By 2018, this expectation was still held to, but by 2019, completion of phase one was delayed to December 2021. In 2018, the second phase was expected to be complete by December 2020. Eventually, these dates were pushed back, with phase one opening in 2022 and phase two expected in 2023. The main reason for the delays from 2020 to 2022 was the COVID-19 pandemic. Cost and length changes 
Originally, the project cost was Tk 219,850 million but it was later increased by Tk 114,870 million to Tk 334,720 million, although the full Project is not yet completed. The first route, originally projected to start from Uttara, a northern area of Dhaka, to Sayedabad, in the south of the capital, was eventually extended north to Uttara and truncated south to Motijheel. The original length which was  has been increased by 1.16 km to . It was planned to have 16 stations originally but it has been increased to 17 stations. Misconceptions 
The project was originally reported to be a  underground metro rail line. It was later confirmed to be an elevated and underground metro rail project. In 2014, it was reported that 56 trains would run on the metro system. It was confirmed that 24 vehicles would run on the MRT Line-6. It was planned to have six lines. Trial runs 
MRT Line-6's train made its first run on 29 August 2021. It traveled from Diabari Depot to Mirpur 12. It successfully made its second run on 29 November 2021. It traveled from Uttara to Mirpur 10. The line's train made its longest trial run on 12 December 2021. It traveled from Uttara to Agargaon. The train ran for . It ran at 100 km/h for  and ran at  for the rest. Overview 
Line 6 consists of 16 operational elevated stations of 180m length each, and  of electricity-powered light rail tracks. All of line 6, save for the depot and some of its accompanying LRT, will be elevated above current roads. Mostly, this will be above road medians to allow traffic flow underneath, with stations also elevated. The Dhaka Metro is projected to serve more than 60,000 passengers per hour by 2022, with headways of approximately 4 minutes. The entire route can be travelled in less than 40 minutes at a speed of , and is expected to drastically reduce the number of private cars on Dhaka's streets as well as their potentially 7-hour-long standstills. The system plans to use magnetic contactless Integrated Circuit Ticketing, commonly known as smart cards. Platform screen door (PSD) barriers used at the platform level will increase safety and increase efficiency. Trains of six spacious air-conditioned cars will arrive every four minutes going each way at each of the 16 stations. The project is being managed by the Communications Ministry's Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Authority, and a consortium of foreign and Bangladeshi firms known as the NKDM Association is acting as the project's general consultant. The NKDM Association consists of Nippon Koei Japan and Development Design Consultants (local consultant - Bangladesh). Network

Operational

Under construction/planned

ㅤ

Lines

MRT Line-1

Airport Route
The construction of the  long underground line, MRT Line-1 (Airport Route), is set to begin in December 2022, costing US$6.1 billion after many delays. Its deadline is set for 2026. It will start from Shahjalal International Airport and stop at Kamalapur Railway Station. The line will have 12 underground stations. Stations will be constructed at Shahjalal International Airport, Shahjalal International Airport Terminal 3, Khilkhet, Jamuna Future Park, Notun Bazar, Uttar Badda, Badda, Hatirjheel East, Rampura, Malibagh, Rajarbagh and Kamalapur Railway Station. MRT Line-1 will have an interchange of MRT Line-6, MRT Line-2 and MRT Line-4 at Kamalapur Railway Station. There will be interchange for the MRT Line-5 Northern Route and the MRT Line-1's Purbachal route at the Notun Bazar. Hatirjheel East of MRT Line-1 and Aftab Nagar West Station of MRT Line-5: Southern Route will have Interchange. Above all, the airport will have an interchange of MRT Line-1 with BRT Line-3. The government will provide US$1.5 billion while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund US$4.6 billion. The use of soundless TBMs will make it possible to build MRT-1's underground infrastructure without disrupting the daily lives of residents and businesses. Purbachal Route
MRT Line-1 (Purbachal Route) will be  long and it will have stations at Notun Bazar, Jamuna Future Park, Bashundhara, Police Officers’ Housing Society, Mastul, Purbachal West, Purbachal Centre, Purbachal Sector-7 and Purbachal depot. Of these stations, Notun Bazar and Jamuna Future Park would be underground as a part of the airport route. MRT Line-2

MRT Line-2 will connect Gabtali with Chittagong Road. The stations on this route are - Gabtali, Embankment Road, Basila, Mohammadpur, Lalmatia, Dhanmondi-27, Sat Masjid Road, Jigatola, Dhanmondi-2, Science Laboratory, Elephant Road, New Market, Nilkhet, BUET, Azimpur, Dhaka Medical College. Wari, Motijheel, Arambagh, Kamalapur Railway Station, Mugda, Manda, Demra and finally Chittagong Road. The length of this line will be . It will cost about 3 billion dollars. MRT Line-4

MRT Line-4 will connect Kamalapur Railway Station with Narayanganj with elevated and underground lines (planned). Length of this line will be . According to a survey conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), MRT Line-4 will run parallel to an existing line which will be converted to a dual gauge railway line by the order of the Bangladesh Railway Authority. MRT Line-4 may not be financially viable. MRT Line-5

Northern Route 

Construction of MRT Line-5 (Northern Route) will begin in September  2023. MRT Line-5 (Northern Route) will start from Hemayetpur of Savar Upazila and end at Vatara (at Bashundhara), costing US$4.85 billion. It expected to be  long in total. Northern route will be  underground and  elevated. It will have 14 stations, of which 9 stations will be underground. Those underground stations will be constructed at Gabtoli, Darus Salam, Mirpur 1, Mirpur 10, Mirpur 14, Kachukhet, Banani, Gulshan-2 and Notun Bazar. 5 stations will be elevated. 5 elevated stations will be constructed at Hemayetpur, Baliarpur, Bilamalia, Amin Bazar and Vatara (at Bashundhara R/A). MRT Line-5 (Northern Route) will have depot at Hemayetpur of Savar Upazila. Southern Route 

The MRT Line-5 (Southern Route), which is about  long, is expected to be operational between 2027-2030. It will connect Gabtoli with Dasherkandi. The stations on this route are Gabtoli, Technical Circle, Kallyanpur, Shyamoli, College Gate, Asad Gate, Russell Square, West Panthapath, Karwan Bazar, Hatirjheel, Tejgaon, Niketon, Aftabnagar West, Aftabnagar Center, Aftabnagar East and lastly Dasherkandi. It is possible to interchange with MRT 5 (Northern Route). MRT Line-6

MRT Line-6 has 17 elevated stations each 180 meters long and  of electric light rail track (LRT). All Line-6 and some attending LRTs, except the depot, have been elevated above the existing roads to allow traffic flow below. This line consists of three phases, of which only the first is currently operational. Opened on 29 December 2022, from Uttara North to Agargaon. 11.73 kilometers (7.29 mi)
 Opened on 5 November 2023, from Agargaon to Motijheel. 8.37 kilometers (5.20 mi)
 Slated for completion in December 2025, from Motijheel to Kamalapur. 1.16 kilometers (0.72 mi)
The opening date above refers to the date it was made available to the public and not the day of inauguration. Network Map

See also 
List of megaprojects in Bangladesh
Dhaka Subway
Dhaka Circular Railway
Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit (Dhaka Line)
Bangladesh Railway
DHK-CTG Bullet Train
History of Dhaka

Notes

References

External links 
 Dhaka Metro Rail: At A Glance at Travel Mate Bangladesh
Dhaka Metro Rail Ticket Price Chart
Aerial Video of MRT Line 6 from Agargaon to Uttara Depot

 
Public transport in Bangladesh
Rail transport in Bangladesh
Transport in Dhaka
2022 in rail transport
2022 establishments in Bangladesh