Improvisation with Dhaka's metro rail has a cost

Liabilities of Dhaka metro -rail company are likely to multiply as it has to bear the cost of mending many defects and deficiencies recently identified in all systems and sub -systems in the under-operation overhead rail.

A recent tragic accident of bearing-pad crash of the metro that killed a young man lays bare the Achilles' heel hidden in its very inception.

Sources have said Dhaka Mass Transit Line Company (DMTCL) prepared the report first in May and next in September demanding repair, replacement and proper actions by consultants and contractors of the Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 (MRT 6) development project.

However, they said, majority of these defects and deficiencies, identified in signaling and telecom system, electrical system, P-way and Civil and Rolling stock, will have to be borne by the state-owned company due to end of the defect-liability period.

Defect liability period (DLP) of all the liable parties was different from one year to two years and most of these were over.

''If these defects and deficiencies were not addressed now, all these would be liability to DMTCL',' said one of them.

He also said the extent of liability was also being calculated.

According to the reports, ticket-vending machine (TVM), passenger gates (PG) and servers were not provided as per contractual provision, resulting in failure to issue five tickets per minute, crossing 60 passengers per minute and resisting failure occurrences less than 1/100,000 since the launch of the MRT-6 rail operation.

Besides, improper earthing, water leaking and dropping and panel damage of large video screen also got exposed within nearly three years of operation.

In the electrical system, catenary-maintenance vehicles, power tailors, high sparking at insulated overlaps of overhead catenary system, defective energy-storage system, drainage block for wrong installation of different electrical cables, defective fire-suppression system were identified.

The report also has identified bearing-pad deformation more than 5.0 per cent of its built height in phase 1 in the number-274 bearings. Several problems have also been marked in the report of train operations, including undershoot, locking provision in the gangway-door, power-board card failure of electrical- brake control etc.

Officials have said rusting has already occurred in many sub -systems, like compression spring, all types of anchor stud with nuts, trapezoidal threads with bolts, screw spike and washer, level-crossing, and rail surface.

Some of these problems have been addressed, but many remained pending.

Asked about the liability for all these defects and deficiencies, DMTCL Managing Director Faruque Ahmed said they had already sent letter to the construction-supervision consultant of the project to fix all first.

"Clearance will not be issued without resolving the pending issues," he told The Financial Express writer.

Transport experts, however, say the first metro rail is going to be a liability than asset although it raised hope for the nation after the first operation of MRT 6, due to malfunction of the DMTCL without technical hands.

Professor Mohammad Shamsul Hoque says the current situation in the metro rail is created due to the commissioning without readying human resources and other logistic resources for proper operation and maintenance.

"Previous managing director cannot avoid his responsibility in creating the situation as he had filled up all non-technical posts but not the posts required in the technical segment," the engineering and technology teacher told the FE over the phone in reaction over the defects and deficiencies identified recently.

When asked on the defects and liabilities, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Rail and Road Sheikh Moinuddin, however, laid importance on audit of entire corridor through a third-party international company.

"As the country has lacking in the MRT in all issues, it will help DMTCL to address all related issues rightly for ensuring all safety issues,' he also told the FE writer.

The MRT-6 train operation started partially from Uttara to Agargaon on December 30, 2022 and gradually expanded up to Motijheel, increasing time and headway of operation during almost last three years.

As the company (DMTCL) was yet to earn capacity of operation and maintenance, problems used to be faced on different occasions were resolved in consultation with the consultant and contractors. Besides, DMTCL continued operation without necessary equipment of maintenance, including cranes.

The MRT 6 has been developed with support of a six-member joint-venture consulting firm led by Nippon Koei Company, Japan, which is known as NKDM Association. Other companies are Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Nippon Koei India, and Nippon Koei Bangladesh.

The entire 20.1-kilometre corridor was developed in eight contract packages, of which CP 1 and CP 2 packages were depot-related. CP 3, 4, 5 and 6 were civil work to develop the elevated structure, CP- 7 package was of supply of necessary equioment and CP 8 was rolling stock.

As all these contracts were signed at different times and work began at different times, DLP has also been different from one to others.

The company, DMTCL, was supposed to take over equipment and materials at different stages from the engineer before commissioning. As it was not done in proper way due to "political reason and inefficiency of the company", all these problems have been created.

smunima@yahoo.com