Dhaka Metro Rail Set for Night Service Extension
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Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is working to extend metro rail operations in the capital until 11:00 PM. The authorities are currently conducting technical tests and assessments for the proposed extension.
Metro rail officials said the service may run for extended hours either by the end of May this year or after the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. They also plan to reduce the interval between trains to 4.5 minutes.
At present, the last metro rail from Motijheel to Uttara departs at 10:10 PM. Meanwhile, the final train from Uttara to Motijheel currently leaves at 9:30 PM. Authorities plan to push the last departure time to 10:10 PM. However, sources said there is no immediate plan to extend morning service hours.
Last October, authorities extended metro rail operating hours by one hour. At that time, morning service started 30 minutes earlier, and the last train at night was extended by 30 minutes. Currently, the metro rail makes 297 trips per day. Officials said the number of trips will increase once night service is extended.
DMTCL officials said the system has the capacity to operate trains every 3.5 minutes. They also noted that the original project plan envisioned metro rail operations from early morning until midnight. However, due to manpower shortages, the extension is being implemented in phases. According to projections, the metro rail is designed to carry 500,000 passengers daily from Uttara to Motijheel. Currently, around 425,000 passengers use the service on average each day.
DMTCL Director (Operations and Maintenance) Nazrul Islam told reporters that tests are underway to extend operating hours on both ends. He added that the Ministry of Road Transport will take the final decision on when and by how much the service hours will be extended.
The metro rail in Dhaka was launched on 28 December 2022. Initially, it operated between Uttara and Agargaon. Gradually, the number of stations increased, and full passenger service across all stations up to Motijheel began on the last day of 2023.
