Metro Rail to Start Kamalapur Service from April 1

Dhaka’s metro rail network is set to expand to Kamalapur as construction of the 1.16-kilometre Motijheel-Kamalapur extension of MRT Line-6 nears completion. The extension will connect Kamalapur with the existing MRT Line-6 service between Uttara North and Motijheel. As of June 30, construction progress on the Motijheel-Kamalapur section stood at 78.38 percent.

Project officials said they hope to begin passenger services to Kamalapur from April 1, if all preparations are completed as planned. A trial run will be conducted before the commercial launch, followed by necessary testing and safety preparations. The extension is expected to improve access to Kamalapur Railway Station, Motijheel’s commercial areas and other important locations nearby. It will also create a direct connection between the country’s intercity and long-distance rail services and Dhaka’s urban mass transit system.

The 1.16-kilometre extension includes a viaduct and one station. Construction of the viaduct has already been completed, while the structural work of Kamalapur MRT station is also finished. Architectural work is now underway and is expected to be completed by December 31. Electro-mechanical work covering seven systems—including electrical track, signalling, automated fare collection (AFC), platform screen doors (PSD), telecommunications, lifts and escalators—is also in progress. Physical progress of the civil works is 78.38 percent, while electro-mechanical work has reached 40 percent.

The MRT Line-6 project is being implemented through eight packages. Package-1, covering land development in the depot area, was completed on January 31, 2018, ahead of schedule, with 100 percent progress. Package-2 was completed on June 20, 2022, also reaching 100 percent progress. Experts say the extension could ease traffic pressure in Kamalapur and surrounding areas. A large number of passengers arriving in Dhaka by train currently depend on buses, CNG-run vehicles, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws or private cars to continue their journeys. The metro rail could allow some of these passengers to shift to faster electric public transport, reducing pressure on city roads.

Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6) Project Director Brig. Gen. (Retd.) Mohammad Abdul Wahab, NDC told Inqilab, “We hope that the metro rail will run up to Kamalapur from April 1. The 1.16-kilometer extended section of Motijheel-Kamalapur will be connected to the MRT Line-6, which currently runs from Uttara North to Motijheel. Currently, the metro rail from Motijheel to Uttara is running with 100 percent success.”