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The commercial trial run of the city's first metro rail is expected to start in September this year.
Required train sets and tracks also are expected to be ready by then, sources said, but getting necessary manpower to run its operation would still be a challenge.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DM-TCL) will have to make the manpower ready by August next if it has to launch the commercial operation of the first half of the 20.1 kilometre Mass Rapid Transit Line 6 (MRT 6) expected in December next.
The sources said that the state-owned company started the training programme for its staff late due to foreign travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. The company could not also complete the recruitment process.
It is learnt that the Japanese contractor, after carrying out all kinds of integration tests since the first train sets arrived at the depot site of Uttara in April last year, has planned to handover the train sets to the DMTCL through completing all integrity tests by August next.
So far eight train sets have reached the Uttara depot site and two more are waiting at the Mongla Port which would be enough to operate the line between Uttara and Agargaon.
A competent source has said five to six train sets would be enough to run the 11.7 5km line from Uttara to Agargaon.
In October last year, the DMTCL sent 36 officials out of its first recruit of 168 officials to India for training on operations and maintenance of rolling stock. This first batch is likely to return home by next month (February).
But two more batches will then go to India and all the trained manpower will then go through training at home as well as in Japan.
Officials, however, said though the recruitment is yet to be completed, the team to operate the first part of the MRT-6 has been developed simultaneously at home and abroad.
"Right now, a total of 44 station controllers and train operators are taking part at different stages of training. Besides, training is being provided to run a metro rail system covering operations, rolling stock, electrical, signaling and telecommunication, PoM and civil work etc," said an official.
He said that the recruitment process was still going on.
As the coronavirus situation has started to deteriorate again, sources said it might affect completing the training in time.
But officials claimed that the DMTCL has taken necessary measures with keeping all these adversities in mind and said that progress of the entire project is good and may even start the rest 10 km line before the schedule.
An official said the viaduct of elevated MRT 6 from Agargaon to Motijheel will be completed by February.
The north-south line has been developed with 16 stations connecting Uttara 3rd phase to Motijheel by 2024 according to the Development Project Proposal.
But the government plans to launch the first half by December this year and the rest by 2023.