Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the overall progress of the country’s first metro-rail construction work stands at 63.26 percent.
“The physical progress of the first phase construction of the metro-rail from Uttara to Agargaon is 84.79 percent,” he said while witnessing the first set of metro train and the progress of metro-rail construction work at its depot in Uttara area here.
Quader virtually joined it as the chief guest from his official residence here.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Bangladesh Representative Hayakawa Yuho were present at the depot.
The minister said the physical progress of the second phase construction of the metro-rail from Agargaon to Motijheel reached 59.78 percent.
Combined progress of electrical and mechanical system and procurement of rolling stock (rail coaches) and depot equipment reached 54.40 percent, he added.
The exhibition of the country’s first electric metro-rail was held on the occasion. The train was driven to the coach unloading zone in depot area from a workshop, said a press release of the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry.
“Now metro-rail is not a dream any more but a reality. In the same time, Bangladesh entered the era of electric train through this metro-rail,” Quader said.
He said metro-rail performance test will begin on mainline on viaduct in August next while trial run of the train will start after integrated test.
The minister said the land development works of the depot have been completed nine months before the scheduled time which saved Taka 70.58 crore of the government.
The overall progress of physical works of the depot is now 88 percent while viaduct erection works of 14.41 kilometer out of 20.10 km have been completed, he said.
He said the construction works of 16 metro-rail stations is going on while the railway track installation works inside depot have been completed, 10.50km railway track has already been installed on viaduct and ‘Overhead Catenary Wire’ installation works over viaduct inside the depot and up to Agargaon is going on.
The minister said the second set of metro train reached Mongla Port on May 9.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Md Nazrul Islam, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique, metro-rail line-6 project director Md Aftab Uddin Talukder, concerned officials of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) and DMTCL were also present on the occasion.
