Metro Rail Inauguration in December Next Year: Quader

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said that the country's first metro rail will be officially inaugurated in December next year.

He added that Metro rail is a dream project for the young generation. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Metrorail project in December next year. She will also inaugurate the Padma Bridge project in June next year. Besides, the Premier will inaugurate Bangabandhu Karnafuli Tunnel in Chattogram next year.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the first Metrorail on Sunday (August 29) at Diabari Depot Viaduct in Uttara.

"It's a milestone," Quader said. Metrorail is no longer a dream, it is a visible reality. Critics will criticize and propagate, we will respond at work. The Sheikh Hasina government responded. We are responding with mega projects including Metrorail and Padma Bridge.

The minister said that he said construction work of concourse of first nine Metro rail stations, platforms of first five Metro rail stations and steel roof structure of first four Metro rail stations and roof sheeting of three Metro rail stations have been completed. Construction of the remaining Metro rail stations is in various stages.

The Minister for Road Transport and Bridges said four Metro rail sets with six coaches have already reached Uttara Depot in Dhaka. The remaining Metro rail sets will be gradually brought to Bangladesh. The first Metro rail set functional test was started inside the depot on May 11. Functional tests of the first two Metro rail sets have already been successfully completed. Performance tests have started today on the viaduct of the first Metro rail set.

He said it would take about six months to complete the test overall. After the completion of the performance test, the integrated test will be done for about three months. At the end of the integrated test and before the start of commercial operations, a five-month passenger less trial will be run.

Earlier, Quader waved the green flag at the coach unloading area of ​​Diabari Depot in Uttara at around 12 noon and inaugurated the test run of Metro Rail.

NM Siddique, Managing Director, Dhaka Mass Rapid Company Limited, a representative of the Japanese Embassy in Bangladesh, the head of JICA Bangladesh office and a representative of Metrorail's consulting firm were present on the occasion.