Daily commuters, including service holders and traders, are rejoicing as the Metro Rail authorities have adjusted their schedule, now operating trains every 8 minutes during peak hours from Saturday. The increased frequency of metro rail trips, now totaling 26, results in a daily count of 178 trains, a rise from the previous 152, according to MN Siddique, the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL).
Siddique outlined the new schedule, mentioning that three trains will run from Uttara between 7:10 am to 7:30 am, and then every 8 minutes from 7:31 am to 11:48 am during peak hours. Post-peak hours, from 11:49 am to 3:12 pm, the trains will run every 12 minutes, reverting to an 8-minute frequency from 3:13 pm to 8:00 pm during peak hours.
Commuters, such as Nazrul Islam at Mirpur-11 Rail Station, have expressed relief due to the less crowded conditions resulting from the new schedule. Another commuter, Hossain, suggested further improvement, stating, “It will be better if the timing can be reduced to 3.5 minutes.”
Except on Fridays, Metro Rail will now operate from Uttara to Motijheel from 7:10 am to 8:40 pm. MRT and Rapid Pass users can travel until 8 pm from Motijheel station. Currently, trains run every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 12 minutes during off-peak hours. The adjusted timings apply only during peak hours, clarified MN Siddique, adding that the daily train trips have increased from 152 to 178.
Siddique highlighted that the metro trains presently carry an average of about 2.70 lakh passengers daily. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first metro rail in Dhaka on December 28, 2022, initially running from Uttara to Agargaon. Later expansions included the Agargaon to Motijheel section, inaugurated on November 4 last year, enabling metro rail service from Uttara to Motijheel since November 5.