Dhaka Metro Rail to Increase Nighttime Frequency and Extend Operational Hours to Accommodate Rising Passenger Demand

DHAKA — The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) plans to deploy two additional trains later this month to alleviate severe overcrowding during late-night hours, as passenger demand continues to surge across the capital’s metro rail network.

The current schedule, which extended service by 20 minutes in both directions starting June 7, has resulted in high passenger volume and a 20-minute gap between the final trains. The introduction of two more train sets is expected to reduce this interval to between seven and eight minutes, addressing the congestion currently faced by commuters such as Robiul Islam, a restaurant worker in Shahbag who relies on the metro to reach his home in East Rajabazar via the Farmgate station. Since the service expansion, daily ridership has increased by approximately 10,000 passengers.

DMTCL officials confirmed that they are also evaluating a further extension of operational hours by 20 to 30 minutes, potentially pushing the final departure time to 11:00 p.m. by September. To facilitate this, the company has completed the recruitment of additional train operators, who are currently undergoing mandatory training scheduled to conclude on August 26. Authorities are also reviewing maintenance schedules to ensure the system can support extended service hours.

Currently, the final train from Motijheel to Uttara departs at 10:30 p.m., while the last train from Uttara toward Motijheel leaves at 9:50 p.m. Morning operations begin at 6:30 a.m. from Uttara and 7:15 a.m. from Motijheel. According to DMTCL sources, there are no immediate plans to extend morning operating hours.

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While the metro infrastructure was designed to handle trains at three-and-a-half-minute intervals, personnel shortages initially hindered the realization of full-day operations. The system currently serves an average of 450,000 passengers daily, approaching the projected capacity of 500,000 between Uttara and Motijheel. Projections indicate that once the extension to Kamalapur is completed next year, daily ridership is expected to reach 677,000.

Md. Nazrul Islam, Director of Operation and Maintenance at DMTCL, confirmed that the decision to add two more trains at night has been finalized, with the specific implementation date to be announced shortly.

The Dhaka Metro Rail, which first commenced operations on December 28, 2022, initially ran between Uttara and Agargaon. Full service to Motijheel was established on the final day of 2023. As the network grows, officials maintain that the gradual expansion of operating hours remains a primary objective to accommodate the city’s increasing transit needs.