Metro Service Hours to Expand as Kamalapur Extension Nears

Dhaka’s metro rail operator is preparing to open the long-awaited Kamalapur Metro Station by March next year as passenger numbers continue to climb steadily across the capital’s first mass rapid transit line. Officials believe the extension will significantly strengthen the city’s public transport network and increase daily ridership by at least 20 per cent by providing direct access to Bangladesh’s largest railway station.

The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is also planning to gradually extend metro operating hours to accommodate the growing demand. The move follows a recent decision to keep trains running for an additional 20 minutes each night, a change that has already attracted thousands of new passengers.

According to DMTCL sources, the metro system is now carrying an average of around 410,000 passengers each day. Before evening services were extended on 7 June, the daily average stood at approximately 400,000. Since the schedule was revised, ridership has increased noticeably, with daily passenger numbers surpassing 425,000 on several occasions.

Officials say the rise has not been limited to the two newly added late-night services. Passenger volumes have also grown on the final departures before the extended operating period, indicating a broader increase in demand for the service during evening hours.

Nazrul Islam, Director of Operations and Maintenance at DMTCL, said extending metro operating hours has long been part of the organisation’s future plans, although any decision must take account of operational and technical requirements.

He explained that once the final train completes its journey each night, extensive maintenance work begins immediately. Trains are returned to the depot for inspections, servicing and technical checks before undergoing approximately two hours of trial operations ahead of the following day’s passenger service. These essential maintenance activities limit how quickly operating hours can be extended.

Even so, the recent increase in evening services has produced encouraging results. Officials believe the opening of Kamalapur Station will create greater flexibility to further expand the timetable while continuing to maintain safety and operational reliability.

At present, 12 train sets operate regularly between Uttara North and Motijheel. DMTCL plans to increase that number to 14 train sets if service hours are extended further in the future, allowing the operator to handle higher passenger volumes without significantly increasing waiting times.

Construction of the Motijheel-Kamalapur extension forms the third phase of the MRT Line-6 project, which first began carrying passengers in December 2022. According to DMTCL, approximately 85 per cent of the extension work has now been completed. The authority aims to begin trial operations by December this year before opening the station for commercial service in March next year.

The metro operator originally projected that the Uttara-Motijheel section would eventually carry around 500,000 passengers per day. Officials now expect that target to be comfortably within reach once Kamalapur Station opens. Direct integration with the country’s busiest railway terminal is expected to encourage thousands of intercity and commuter rail passengers to transfer to the metro network. Residents of Kamalapur, Gopibagh, Manda and surrounding neighbourhoods are also expected to become regular users of the system.

Regular commuters have welcomed the prospect of both the extension and longer operating hours. Many argue that the metro should eventually operate from 6:00 a.m. until midnight to better match the travel patterns of Dhaka’s residents.

One commuter from Pallabi said she frequently travels with her family to catch early morning trains from Kamalapur Railway Station but currently has to rely on CNG auto-rickshaws or other transport because metro services begin later in the morning. She believes an earlier start would greatly improve convenience for rail passengers.

Another regular passenger travelling from Mirpur to Karwan Bazar for work said metro services were originally expected to operate from early morning until midnight. He urged the authorities to introduce those hours as soon as practical and also called for earlier Friday services to better serve weekend travellers.

Urban planning experts share the view that longer operating hours could substantially increase ridership. They argue that a metro system serving a densely populated city such as Dhaka should operate for extended periods each day to maximise the benefits of the significant public investment made in the network.

Project Director Abdul Wahab said work on electrical systems, signalling equipment and mechanical installations is progressing rapidly. With around 85 per cent of the project already complete, DMTCL remains focused on launching trial operations by December and opening Kamalapur Metro Station to passengers in March, marking another major milestone in the continued expansion of Dhaka’s modern urban transport system.