Uttara to Motijheel: From hours to just half an hour

In just 31 minutes, commuters in Dhaka will soon be able to cover the 20.1km distance from Uttara to Motijheel, which is a remarkable reality.

After enduring one to two hours (or more) of travel time, depending on traffic congestion, for the past three days, residents of Dhaka will soon experience a drastic improvement in their daily commute.

On 4 November, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to inaugurate the metro rail service, commencing from the Agargaon to Motijheel section, as part of the MRT line-6 project. MAN Siddique, Managing Director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) announced this at a press conference on Wednesday.

The metro rail service has been operational between Uttara and Agargaon since last December, and Siddique revealed that the metro service from Motijheel to Agargaon will be opened now.

The journey from Agargaon to Motijheel will take 14 minutes. Currently, the journey from Uttara to Agargaon takes 17 minutes.

Once the new line is in operation, the journey from Uttara to Motijheel will only takes 31 minutes. 

The project's documentation indicates an average travel time of 105 minutes from Uttara to Motijheel by road. This development will save commuters a valuable 74 minutes. This newfound time can be put to more productive use in various aspects of their lives.

Also, Siddique shared that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself will inaugurate the metro rail service at the Agargaon station. She will also ride with her companions on the next train to join a ceremonial event hosted at the concourse level of the Motijheel metro station.

He also mentioned that the metro rail will initially operate in the Uttara-Motijheel section from 7:30am to 11:30am for a total of four hours each day.

For the Uttara-Agargaon section, train services will run until 8:30pm.

Initially, the metro trains will make stops at Farmgate, Bangladesh Secretariat, and Motijheel stations on the Agargaon-Motijheel route. The remaining stations, including Bojoy Sarani, Kawran Bazar, Shahbag, and Dhaka University stations, will be opened to the public within the next three months. Commuters can expect a train every 10 minutes.

Siddique said that it will take approximately three months to establish regular metro train services in this new section. During this transition period, the Agargaon-Motijheel route will align its schedule with that of the Uttara-Agargaon, with trains making stops at all stations.

Project officials have diligently conducted performance tests, system integration tests, trial runs, and other necessary assessments to ensure the efficient operation of services in this new route.

The prime minister will inaugurate the construction works of the MRT Line-5 (Northern route) and unveil the inaugural plaque of the MRT line-6 from Motijheel station. Siddique conveyed this information during a morning press briefing held in the conference room of the DMTCL.

As part of the inauguration ceremony, Siddique noted that the regular operation of the metro rail service from Uttara to Agargaon will be temporarily closed on Saturday, resuming on the following Sunday.