MRT Line 1 (Dhaka Metro)

The MRT Line 1 () is an under-construction rapid transit line of Dhaka Metro Rail. It will be the second line of the Dhaka Metro Rail system and will be operated by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). Its construction started in February 2023. It is scheduled to open in December 2030.

History

In 2005, the World Bank published a study report, recommending that the government of Bangladesh build a mass transit system in Dhaka. In the same year, American consultancy firm Louis Berger Group prepared a strategic transport plan for Dhaka. The World Bank helped to develop this plan, which proposed the construction of five MRT lines in Dhaka. The five metro lines were MRT Line 1, MRT Line 2, MRT Line 4, MRT Line 5 and MRT Line 6. The budget for MRT Line 1 was set at of which Japan International Cooperation Agency agreed to finance 75%. Construction of the line is targeted for December 2026. In 2019, the government finalized the construction project of the line. But with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, progress on the line's project stalled. On 15 June 2022, the license of MRT Line 1 was handed over to DMTCL by the Road Transport and Highways Division. On 23 October 2022, the government signed an agreement with Nippon Koei Bangladesh Limited to join the company as a consultant for MRT Line 1. In the same year, the government entered into an agreement with Tokyo Construction and Max Infrastructure for the land development work of the only depot of the proposed project at Pitalganj. On 28 December 2022, the day of the inauguration of MRT Line 6, the secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Department said that the construction of the project is possible to start in the first month of 2023 subject to the approval of the prime minister. Its construction was initially scheduled to begin on 26 January 2023, but was moved to 2 February. Finally, the construction of the MRT Line 1 project was inaugurated by Sheikh Hasina in 2 February. According to the information of the second meeting of the implementation committee of DMTCL released on 22 March 2023, the construction cost of the line may increase by due to the need to increase the amount of land for acquisition by 39.17 acres and the increase in land prices. As of November 2024, the depot's land development is 75% complete. Tenders have been invited for the main part of the construction of the line as of January 2025. On 7 January 2025, it was announced that a construction yard for the line would be built by building a steel post structure on the canal south of Kuril and placing metal sheets on it, and that there would be no construction yard after the construction work was completed. In 2025, DMTC officials stated that the construction of Line 1 could not be completed by 2026 and might take an additional 3-4 years. In the same year, a budget allocation of was proposed for the line in the Annual Development Program for the next fiscal year. By February 2025, 90% of the land development work for Line 1 had been completed.

Stations

Airport route

Its length is 19.872 km which is going to be built entirely underground. This route will go from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur with 12 stations. Commuters can transfer to MRT Line 5 from Notun Bazaar Station via an interchange.

Purbachal route

The 11.361 km route will have 9 stations. It can go from Purbachal New Town to Notun Bazar. Nadda and Notun Bazar stations will be constructed underground while the rest will be elevated. Both Nadda and Notun Bazar stations will have interchanges.

Issue

MRT Line 1 will have seven stations on Purbachal Expressway which will be on elevated line. Before construction began, it was known that the expressway might be damaged during the construction of the stations. MM Ehsan Jamil, director of the expressway construction project, claimed that he had demanded the metro authority to construct seven stations in Purbachal section underground. But it became impossible as the construction contract with JICA was done before that. Therefore, he suggested to start the work on the eastern part of MRT Line 1 with the construction of the expressway earlier to avoid damage to the expressway, but it could not be done due to various issues. Later, 4 meters space was left in the median strip of the expressway for the construction of the metro. Later the secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division assured that the construction of the line would be done in a coordinated manner so as not to cause major damage to the expressway. He also informed that the pillar of the line will be built on the median strip and the two columns of the station will be built on the green space on both sides of the expressway so that no space on the road will be used. On 19 February 2025, the chief of the project stated that while the road itself would not be damaged during construction, its pavement surface might sustain some damage. However, any affected pavement would be repaired after the construction work was completed.

References

Notes

Citations

Further reading

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External links

MRT Line 1
on the official website of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority

{{Dhaka Metro Rail

1
Rapid transit systems under construction
Japan International Cooperation Agency
Standard-gauge railways in Bangladesh