Another day, another glitch: Are commuters losing faith in metro rail?

As the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, in the form of rains, began to be experienced in Dhaka in the early hours today (27 May), commuters had one salvation: the metro rail. 

Rains would mean gridlocked roads and a lack of transport, but the metro would offer a quick way to offices and schools.

This wasn't the case. 

Much like the internet or a ride-sharing application, metro rail services weren't there when you needed it the most. 

Azmin Hoque, a commuter who was at the Farm Gate Metro Rail Station, said he had been waiting to board the train for around two hours. 

"I have to reach my work by at least 9:30am. I arrived here at around 7:30am to beat the rush. But it's almost 10am now, and there is still no sight of the metro," he said. 

Azmin, among the 250,000 commuters who use the metro every day, wasn't alone in running late. 

Jahid Hossain, a private service holder, expected to reach his office by 10am. But the metro train wouldn't start operations before 11:00am. 

"When you look at the sky, you can predict the weather and make your plans accordingly. But with the metro, it's just unpredictable," he said. 

Speaking to The Business Standard, DMTCL Public Relations Officer Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan said there was a problem with the power supply in the catenary line. 

In the meantime, a few trains were running on one line to ease public suffering, he added.

The metro rail, a huge relief for people, is now also becoming known for its unreliability. 

Today's suspension of operations — from 7:30am to 11:00am — wasn't the first of its kind.

Just two days earlier, metro operations were suspended for 1.5 hours due to a "technical glitch". 

It was the same glitch cited today — power connection.

In January of this year, metro passengers were also stuck in the train midway due to these "technical errors". 

Back in August, metro rail services also came to a halt for a couple of hours. Once again the culprit was the Overhead Catenary System. 

The issue of reliability also hurts the metro rail's credibility. As the glitches become more frequent, people are becoming more wary of using the metro. 

"We understand it's a new technology and problems will occur. But there should be a way to let people know that the metro isn't operating. They can post a status on their Facebook or at least display a notice somewhere. This is Digital Bangladesh, after all," Shanta Rahman, a teacher who uses the metro every day to reach her place of work in Uttara from Agargaon, said.  

Experts, meanwhile, have long expressed their frustration regarding the metro rail's Overhead Catenary System, which is a backdated and risky method of supplying power to locomotives. 

Speaking to TBS earlier, Professor Dr Shamsul Hoque, director of Accident Research Institute of Buet, had said, "Century-old Overhead Catenary technology is not suitable for a densely populated city like Dhaka at all. In recent times, no country in the world — except Indonesia and Bangladesh — has used this technology."

To avoid problems and ensure uninterrupted power supply to the trains, most of the developed countries have abandoned overhead wires and adopted new methods of supplying electricity.  

For example, construction of the Metro Rail in Lahore, Pakistan, began in 2015 and started operating in October 2020. The 27 km metro rail uses "Third-line Technology" instead of the Overhead Catenary System. 

In that system, a third line is constructed parallel to the metro rail lines to supply power without setting up overhead electricity lines, he said.

The professor also said, "I objected to the Overhead Catenary System technology when the plan for the metro rail was being prepared. I said in a densely populated city like Dhaka, many things can fall on the wires from tall buildings on both sides of them.

"Even during a nor'wester, many things, including polythene, can fall on the power lines. The Overhead Catenary System in such a city can create many problems for the metro rail."

In February last year, metro services were disrupted as a kite reportedly got stuck in one of the railway's electric poles. 

What is also worrying is when these glitches occur, the metro rail authorities choose to remain mum, unless pressed. 

The currently operating MRT-6 was allocated Tk 334.72 crore. 

The facility has eased traffic woes to a great extent. The cost of this lone metro rail, stretching around 20 kilometres, will take an estimated 45 years to recover. 

But if the authorities turn a blind eye to commuters' suffering, then all the pomp that greeted the metro's inauguration will leave a bitter taste in people's mouths.