Metro Rail New Route update in 2024 – Fare, Time, Offday! Facility for Mirpur and Uttara Residence area

Before Metro Rail, commuting from Uttara to Mirpur was a nightmare as commuters needed to face huge traffic in Mirpur. Sometimes, it can even take an hour to cross the traffic.

But now you can go to Mirpur from Uttara easily in 15 minutes by Dhaka Metro Rail. The train ticket fare is also quite reasonable. Not only Mirpur, but the journey to Motijheel from Uttara has also become easier for commuters.

But what is the time schedule and ticket fare? What is Metro Rail’s new route update for 2024? 

So, keep reading to learn all the details, including how to get the MRT pass.

New Metro Rail Route Update

Dhaka Metro Rail started its first journey in 2022 and has 16 operational stations in 2024. As 2023 ends, Metro Rail opened two new routes to Karwan Bazar and Shahbag on 31 December. 

The list of available 17 Metro Rail stations are:

1. Kamalapur (yet to be opened)
2. Motijheel
3. Bangladesh Secretariat
4. Dhaka University
5. Shahbag
6. Karwan Bazar
7. Farmgate
8. Bijoy Sarani
9. Agargaon
10. Shewrapara
11. Kazipara
12. Mirpur 10
13. Mirpur 11
14. Pallabi
15. Uttara South
16. Uttara Center
17. Uttara North

The government has plans to open a total of 103 stations across Bangladesh. In the next 6 years, there will be 6 more new metro rail routes to reduce traffic.  

The Metro Rail has a total of five planned lines confirmed by DTCA, such as:

• The only operational line with a new opening route expected in 2025 is MRT Line 6.
• Two more lines are MRT Line 1 and 5, which are currently under construction.
• MRT Lines 2 and 4 are currently in the planning phase.

Source: The Daily Star

What is The Ticket Fare Update for Metro Rail?

The rail fare increases by Tk 5 per kilometer depending on the distance from station to station. Usually, the minimum rail fare is 20 taka. So, a passenger traveling 20 kilometers from Uttara North Metro Rail to Kamalapur Metro Rail needs to pay 100 taka to buy the ticket. 

Recently, a group of students gathered in front of Farmgate Rail Station demanding a half pass on February 3.

Here’s a ticket fare chart of Metro Rail in 2024:

Ticket Types

You can travel Metro Rail with two types of tickets, such as:

• Single Journey tickets
• MRT pass/ Rapid pass

Discounts for Passengers

MetroRail offers no fare or discounts to some specific category passengers, such as:

• You can travel with no fare if you have a valid Freedom Fighter identity card or quota.
• Children under 90 centimeters can travel with a guardian with a free-fare travel facility.
• People with special needs are given 15% on a single journey ticket if they can show valid medical papers or ID cards.
• You can enjoy a 10% discount on each journey if you use the MRT pass/ Rapid pass for 10 years. 

How to Register for MRT Pass

You first need to apply for the card at the Agargaon and Uttara North Metro Rail stations. The card registration and top-up time is between 7:15 AM and 7:45 PM, except Friday. Here’s how to apply:

1. 1. Download and fill out the form from the DMTCL website.
   2. Next, submit the form to the rail ticket counter along with your —

• Name

• Parent’s name

• NID card or passport number

• Email address and phone number

• 500 taka (200 taka for the card and 300 taka for the card balance)

Remember that only one person can travel anytime using the MRT Pass. You can recharge the card between 100 taka and 10,000 taka.

More information related to MRT passes is available here.

How to Buy Ticket from the TVM

To buy a ticket from the ticket vending machine (TVM), the passenger needs to go through a few steps. Here are the steps:

1. First, set the instruction language, then click on the “Single Journey Ticket” on the screen.
2. The name of the station you are in while buying the ticket will appear in green, and then you must select your destination.
3. Now, the ticket price will be shown on the right side, and you will need to insert how many tickets you want to buy. (Maximum 5 tickets at a time.)
4. Insert “Okay” and insert the money where you need to. The total ticket fare will be shown on the screen.
5. Now, wait for the print-out ticket to come out from the screen’s bottom-left.

While paying for your tickets, remember some points:

• You can’t insert a large note. The amount of banknotes you can insert will be displayed on the screen.
• If you don’t have changes, you can ask the counter staff.
• Make sure the banknote is not torn or worn out.

Time Schedule of Train in Metro Rail and Offday

All Metro Rail services are normally closed on Fridays. The timetable of trains running from Saturday to Thursday is the same. Here’s a chart of the schedule of the train:

However, Motijheel Metro Rail usually opens its service at 07:30 AM and continues till 08:00 PM, maintaining the designated headway.

Additional Rules and Time Schedule for MRT Pass Holders

Besides the general timetable, there are some other rules and schedules. Such as:

• 2 trains will leave from Uttara North to Motijheel at 07:10 AM and 07:20 AM. If you take one of these trains, you can get off at any metro station, and ONLY MRT Pass holders travel.
• 4 metro trains will leave from Motijheel to Uttara North at different times and stop at each station. MRT Pass holders can travel as usual, but Single Journey Ticket holders must buy the ticket before 07:45 PM. The trains departing times are:
  • 08:10 PM
  • 08:20 PM
  • 08:30 PM
  • 08:40 PM

NOTE: All ticket offices and ticket vending machines close after 07:45 PM.

Conclusion

So, we can say that taking the Metro Rail service is pretty flexible, and you can commute from Motijheel to Uttara North within an hour. Besides, the MRT pass is a great convenience for daily commuters. It has reduced the hassle of facing huge traffic and wasting our time.