Tk 45,503cr MRT Line-5 South Set to Reshape Dhaka’s Traffic Troubles

A Tk45,503 crore mega metro rail project linking Gabtoli with Dasherkandi is poised to move a major step closer to reality, with the proposed MRT Line-5 (South Route) set to be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has already signed the Development Project Proposal (DPP), clearing the way for its submission to the ECNEC.

Preparations for presenting the project to the ECNEC have already been completed, officials said.

The project will be financed through a combination of domestic and foreign funds, with the government providing Tk15,197 crore and the remaining Tk30,306 crore coming jointly from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Korean government’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

The next ECNEC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Officials said the project would be placed before that meeting if it is included in the agenda; otherwise, it will go before the following ECNEC meeting.

The proposed 17.20-kilometre route is designed to take a largely underground path through some of Dhaka’s most congested areas, before emerging above ground towards Dasherkandi.

The underground section will run from Gabtoli through Technical, Kallyanpur, Shyamoli, College Gate, Asad Gate, Shukrabad, Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon and Hatirjheel to Aftabnagar. From Aftabnagar to Dasherkandi, the final 4.10 kilometres will be elevated.

Of the total route, 13.10 kilometres will be underground and 4.10 kilometres elevated, with 15 stations �" 11 underground and four elevated.

The underground tunnels will be constructed at depths ranging from 16 metres to 38 metres, according to project officials.

Brigadier General (retd) Mohammad Abdul Wahab, project director of the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-5 South Route), said preparations for placing the project before the ECNEC had been completed.

“The project is ready to be placed before the ECNEC meeting. Even if it is not included in Wednesday’s meeting, it will be presented at the next ECNEC meeting,” he said.

According to the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the project is intended to introduce a fast, safe, reliable, air-conditioned, electric-powered, remotely operated and environmentally friendly mass-transit system, while reducing Dhaka’s chronic traffic congestion.

An ADB study estimates that the line could become operational in FY2030-31, potentially delivering a substantial economic and environmental dividend to the capital.

The metro line is projected to save 214.97 million passenger working hours annually and cut fuel consumption by 41,220 tonnes a year. Vehicle travel distance is expected to fall by around 642,000 kilometres annually, while carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by approximately 207,964 tonnes a year.

The system will initially operate with 19 six-coach train sets, with trains planned to be upgraded to eight coaches from 2040. Each train will have a maximum capacity of 2,312 passengers.
Passenger-carrying capacity will initially stand at 20,107 passengers per hour per direction, rising to 38,255 by 2060.

Trains are expected to run at intervals of just four minutes and 30 seconds, with maximum speeds of 100 kilometres per hour on elevated sections and 90 kilometres per hour underground. Each train will also include a dedicated coach for women.

Modern lifts and escalators will be installed at both underground and elevated stations, enabling passengers to move conveniently between stations and both sides of adjoining roads.
However, the scale of construction will also create a major engineering challenge.