Bangladesh: Country's first metro rail makes trial run

The test run was flagged off by Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at its depot in Dhaka.

A train, consisting of six carriages, made the trip from its depot and back after crossing three stations on its way without any passengers.

According to the minister, if all trials and inspection go well, the train will be launched for public use next year when the country's two more mega infrastructure projects including Padma Bridge and Karnaphuli river Tunnel, under construction by Chinese firms, will also be inaugurated.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), a Bangladeshi state-owned enterprise founded to implement the metro rail lines across Dhaka, is constructing the 20.1-km metro rail line, divided into eight packages, in collaboration with companies from China, Japan and other countries.

The Line-6 consists of 16 elevated stations and electricity-powered light rail tracks.

Chinese state-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited and Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a construction company based in Thailand, were contracted to perform civil constructions for the MRT Line-6 in May 2017.

In February 2013, Bangladesh signed a loan deal with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to finance the metro rail project scheduled to be implemented in three phases.

An official had earlier said the overhead construction of metro rail can help the Bangladeshi government's efforts to ease traffic gridlock in Dhaka.

Once the project is implemented, a train with six air-conditioned spacious coaches will operate every four minute and will carry some 60,000 passengers each hour.