C T Online Desk: The test run of the metro rail from Agargaon to Motijheel section will commence today.
The test run will be inaugurated by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at 4:00 pm, as confirmed by the Metro Rail authorities on Thursday.
The test run follows an experimental train journey that took place on Wednesday night along the same route. The trial marks a significant step in assessing the functionality of the metro rail before it becomes operational for commuters.
The performance test, part of the trial run, will commence from Agargaon on the MRT-6 line. The train will traverse through Bijoy Saroni, Farmgate, Kawran Bazar, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, and conclude at Secretariat Station in Motijheel.
According to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Deputy General Manager Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan, the performance test will be succeeded by integration and functional testing, then a full-scale trial run, before finally launching passenger service.
This development is a progression of the metro rail project that began with the opening of the Uttara-Agargaon section on December 28 of last year by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The performance test for this section began on May 11 last year and took eighteen months to complete. However, the Agargaon to Motijheel section is expected to conclude in just three months.
DMTCL officials shared that the performance test will involve running empty trains at slow speeds. This section’s construction, which includes the rail and electric lines, has been completed. The functional test will evaluate the newly built viaduct and stations, while the integrated test will assess the cohesiveness of the trains, lines, and electrical systems.
Minister Obaidul Quader announced earlier that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Agargaon-Motijheel section in October, while the Motijheel-Kamalapur section is slated to open in June 2025.
The Agargaon to Motijheel section encompasses stations at Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, TSC, Secretariat, and Motijheel.
