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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate Dhaka Metro Rail's Agargaon-to-Motijheel part tomorrow (Saturday) and Dohazari-Cox's Bazar Rail Line on November 11, reports UNB.
Dhaka Metro will be open to general commuters from the next day(Nov 5) while, Dohazari-Cox's Bazar Rail will be opened to traffic on December 1.
Moreover, the PM will inaugurate construction work of MRT-5 -- from Hemayetpur to Bhatara -- in Dhaka.
Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader shared the information with reporters at the Secretariat today.
Initially, metro rail on the Agargaon-Motijheel part will remain functional for four hours with three stations: Farmegate, Bangladesh Secretariat, and Motijheel. Rest of the stations will be opened in phases, said the minister.
He also said that, initially, metro rail will operate from Uttara North to Motijheel between 7:30 am and 11:30 am from November 5, on both directions.
Earlier there was a schedule to inaugurate the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar Rail line on November 12, but a day was advanced to open it on November 11, he said, adding that trains carrying passengers will operate from December 1.
The decision to advance the inaugural date was taken upon consent from Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, the public relations officer added.
According to the project officials, under the project a 102-km new dual gauge single railway line from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar has been built at a cost of Tk 180 billion.
Already an Oyster-shaped international standard railway station has been built in Cox's Bazar town and seven more stations from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar have been built while an overpass was also constructed to facilitate the movement of elephants and other wild animals as the rail line crosses a reserved forest area.
A spectacular iconic railway station has been constructed on 29 acres of land in the Hajipara area of Jhelongja Union, seven kilometers east-north of Cox's Bazar Sadar, said the project director.
The area of the six-storey station building is 1,82,000 square feet. Three platforms of 650 metres in length and 12 metres in width have been constructed near the iconic building.
Besides, a railway residential area has been built next to it. Apart from residential hotels, the station also has facilities like canteen, lockers and car parking.
Tourists can leave their luggage in the station lockers and spend the day at the beach. At least 46,000 people can travel through this station a day, the project director added.
On April 3, 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the construction of the railway between Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar and Ramu-Ghumdhum.