Metro rail authority considers extending night service hours; decision expected soon
Published:
৫ মে ২০২৬, ১৫:৫৮
The operating hours of the metro rail in Dhaka are set to be extended, with authorities planning to add an additional 40 to 50 minutes of service at night. Technical tests are currently underway as part of preparations. An official announcement will be made after the completion of trial operations.
Officials aim to introduce the extended schedule either by the end of May or following the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha holiday.
The Dhaka metro rail system is operated by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which is also responsible for the construction of the network.
According to sources at the DMTCL, the last trains from Motijheel towards Uttara are planned to run until 11:00 pm, compared to the current departure time of 10:10 pm. In the opposite direction, from Uttara to Motijheel, the final train is expected to depart at around 10:10 pm, whereas it currently leaves at 9:30 pm.
Officials have also indicated that headways between trains will be reduced. During peak hours, the interval between trains is expected to be shortened from five minutes to approximately four and a half minutes, improving service frequency.
At present, metro rail operations begin at 6:30 am from Uttara and at 7:15 am from Motijheel. There are currently no plans to adjust morning schedules.
The metro rail’s operating hours were last extended in October last year, when services were increased by one hour. At that time, morning services began earlier, while evening services were extended by 30 minutes.
Currently, the system operates 297 trips per day. With the proposed extension, the number of daily trips is expected to increase further.
During off-peak hours, trains currently run at intervals ranging from 7 to 20 minutes, while service frequency is structured across multiple time bands throughout the day depending on passenger demand.
At the very early hours of the morning, metro trains operate at relatively long intervals. During office rush hours, however, services run more frequently. In contrast, the interval between trains is increased during the afternoon and at night.
Commuter Mahmudur Rahman, who works at a lawyer’s chamber in Paltan in the capital, travels daily from Agargaon to his workplace by metro rail in the morning. However, as he often leaves work late at night, he is unable to use the metro service on his return journey and has to rely on buses instead. He said that extending the night service would significantly benefit him.
“I cannot leave before 10:30 at night after finishing work. I go to Agargaon by bus. It is very difficult. If I can use the metro on my return journey, it will save time and make commuting much more comfortable,” Mahmudur Rahman said.
Regular metro rail passengers also noted that while passenger numbers are relatively lower in the early morning hours, the last train at night remains crowded. They believe that extending night-time operations would greatly benefit commuters and could further increase passenger numbers.
At present, there are 24 train sets in operation on the Uttara–Motijheel route, each consisting of six coaches. During peak hours, 12 train sets operate continuously. According to the DMTCL, if operating hours are extended and additional trips are introduced, 14 train sets will be deployed continuously.
DMTCL officials stated that the system has the technical capacity to operate trains at intervals as short as three and a half minutes. The original project design also envisaged metro operations running from early morning until midnight, but full implementation has been phased due to staffing constraints.
Under the projected demand model, the metro was initially designed to carry up to 500,000 passengers daily on the Uttara–Motijheel route. At present, average daily ridership stands at approximately 425,000 passengers.
Once the extension up to Kamalapur is completed, which is expected next year, daily passenger volumes are projected to rise to around 677,000.
DMTCL Director (Operations and Maintenance) Nazrul Islam told Prothom Alo that trials are currently being conducted to extend operating hours in both directions.
He said that the final decision on the timing and extent of the extension would be taken by the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges.
The Dhaka Metro Rail began operations on 28 December 2022, initially between Uttara and Agargaon. The service was gradually extended, with full operations reaching Motijheel by the end of 2023.
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