The Metro Rail: A Dream Come True

 

The people of Dhaka are going to enjoy the facilities of the long-cherished metro rail at the end of 2022. The Metro rail was not merely a dream, it was a matter of capability of independent Bangladesh. After almost half a century of independence, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made the dream a reality.

It is expected that it will alleviate the suffering of Dhakites. The metro first started in the United Kingdom in 1863. Thus it means, we are being blessed with metro rail about 160 years later of its beginning. However, it is better late than never. Pakistan introduced the service in Lahore on 26 October 2020 with the help of China. Although our close neighbor India's first and Asia's fifth metro opened to the public on October 24, 1984. Tokyo Metro's Ginza Line began operating on December 30, 1927. It was not only Japan's first subway; it was the first in Asia.

Most of the people of the country considered it as a dream for a country like Bangladesh. Like others, I also thought so. And I took a chance to ride the transport in Kolkata in 2008. Me and my wife were amazed to ride the metro at that time. We thought it would not be possible in Bangladesh and took the chances so that if we never find the opportunity in our country, at least we would not be the loser as we can tell the people we had the experience.

Different countries of the world named this Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), as heavy rail, metro, subway, tube, U-Bahn, T-bane, Metropolitana, or underground. I had experienced this metro in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Germany too. It seemed to me more standardized in the former communist-block country of Czech Republic. The country has a metro station named Nám?stí Míru which is the deepest station of the Prague Metro and the European Union. Its platform is situated 53 meters (171 ft) below the surface. However, later I came to know that the Arsenalna, a station on Kyiv Metro's Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line, is currently the deepest station in the world at 105.5 meters (346 ft).Generally, the average metro train doesn't go beyond a few stories underground. But sometimes the geology and the geography of the region, such as the presence of rivers and swamps, forces engineers to go deep underground. That's why Bangladesh Metro station is ata certaintop of the ground.

The metro train is normally run by electricity and its doors are controlled from the driver's room. Sometimes it creates fun among the people. One day in the Prague metro, the door was not closing. All the passengers were excited about why it's happening. Suddenly the angry driver came out shouting, at that time I found a couple was closely hugging each other standing in the door, as the sensor was active in the door, it prevented the driver's control to shut it. Driver's shout made them conscious, and the man took goodbye from this partner. So, such an incident will happen and a lover can stop the metro train to convince his lover!!

Our neighbor and south Asian country Nepal is willing to implement a metro rail project in Kathmandu. Their study activities on the project are underway. Construction works are expected to commence in the third quarter of 2022.Another South Asian nation Srilanka is also getting advance in this project. Their commercial operations are expected to start in 2025.On the other hand, there is no rail transport in Bhutan. However, Bhutan and India have signed a memorandum of understanding to connect Bhutan with the Indian Railways network. Possibly the country is not thinking more right now.

In the meantime, the Metro rail train has completed its first formal trial run in Dhaka's Mirpur area on August 29, 2021.The project's original implementation term was set for 2012-2024. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinadirected the concerned agencies to make metro services operational from Uttara to Agargaon by 2019, and from Agargaon to Motijheel by 2020.After missing the deadline, the authorities agreed to launch the service in December 2021, until the deadline was extended again this year. The country's first metro rail system is being built at a cost of Tk 21,985 crore. After the completion of the metro rail, it will be able to carry 60,000 people per hour, which will reduce travel time from Uttara to Motijheel to around 40 minutes, from about two hours by common transports on regular days.

There is no doubt that the implementation of the Metro rail project will add a feather to the government's crown of success. It would be a fantastic selling point of the ruling Awami League in the next election and the ruling authority will also spend thousands of crore money for publicity in this regard. It is one of the priority projects of the government and its successful completion will high the morale of the ruling party.  However, it is expected that all future appointments in this project will be based on merit, so that people enjoy good service from the authority.

I am dreaming along with one hundred eighty million people to be a passenger of the metro rail train with friends and family. Like others, I have also started the countdown. Hoping to hear the announcement at the station that the train is approaching the station… People will watch the train from the different parts of the city. And they will certainly say…here comes metro train….me and thousands of city dwellers are waiting and waiting to see the metro rail train in operation. It will not only resound the success of the government but also elevate our head in the comity of nations. It is considered metro rail and development of the country are a synomym. So, it is an indicator that we are marching towards being a developed country.


Muhammad Nuray Alam is a Former Political Analyst Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Dhaka