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Metro train service restarts after around an hour in Bangladesh

After a brief interruption of around one hour caused by a "technical malfunction," metro train services between Uttara North and Motijheel have again recommenced.

Trains were seen operating in both directions since around 4:00 pm.

Siddique, the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), said that issues with the electrical supply caused the suspension.

"The operation recommenced following a comprehensive manual inspection of the entire line," he said.

According to his statement, the suspension persisted for almost 45 minutes.

Nevertheless, our reporter discovered that the Kazipara Station was closed at about 2:50 pm, indicating that services may have been halted for more than one hour.

The metro train officials have intermittently closed the doors to the Uttara North station to manage the influx of people since it is the last day of the Biswa Ijtema event.

According to the DMTCL official, the trains immobilised between stations at the beginning of the suspension were transported to the subsequent stop. Passengers were then offered to either remain on the train or disembark.

"There is a significant influx of passengers today." The concourse level, the first floor where tickets are sold, has a specific capacity. "When the capacity of the Uttara North station was exceeded, we had to close the entrances," said Tarafder Mahmudur Rahman, the deputy project director (public relations) of MRT Line-6.

"It is necessary for us to shut down the entrances every thirty minutes." "We must persist with this system in response to the passengers' demands," he said.

"There have been recurrent power supply disruptions, prompting the formation of a committee to ascertain the underlying cause," said MAN Siddique.

In addition, he said that the doors to the Uttara North station were sometimes stopped to manage the significant influx of people departing from the Ijtema site on the last day of the first phase of Biswa Ijtema.

He said the gates were periodically locked between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm.

The two service interruptions that occurred on the opening day of the work week severely affected computers. During the early hours, many individuals experienced congestion on concourses and platforms. Meanwhile, those impacted by the suspension were compelled to seek alternate means of transportation to reach their destinations on the bustling weekday.

Metro train officials have intermittently closed the doors to the Uttara North station to manage the influx of people since it is the last day of the Biswa Ijtema event.

Rokshana Yeasmin, an employee at a private company, said, "I reached Farmgate station at 3:30 pm and needed to travel to Paltan [Secretariat station] for a pressing business matter." A substantial crowd was gathered at the entry, but no trains crossed above. I was obliged to go to Paltan using a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw, which cost Tk 200 instead of the Tk 30 fare on the metro rail.

 

"Today, there is a significant influx of passengers." The concourse level, the first floor where tickets are sold, has a specific capacity. "When the Uttara North station's capacity was exceeded, we had to close the entrances," said Tarafder Mahmudur Rahman, the deputy project director (public relations) of MRT Line-6.

Dipon Pandey, a private employee, waited almost 30 minutes outside the Secretariat station, starting at 3:30 pm. He abandoned his efforts upon realising that there were no indications of the station's imminent inauguration.

The metro trains run from Uttara to Motijheel between 7:00 a.m. and 8:40 p.m., six days a week.

The construction of two more metro rail lines, MRT Line-5 (northern route) and MRT Line-1, is underway.

The northern path of MRT Line-5 will span 20 kilometres, connecting Hemayetpur to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur-10, and Gulshan. The project, which amounts to Tk 41,239 crore, must be completed by 2028.