Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday inaugurated construction of the first part of the elevated railway (viaduct) and nine stations of the country's much talked-about maiden metro rail in the capital.

The 12km track of the first part stretches from north Uttara to Agargaon. 

This is the visible beginning of physical construction of the elevated rail tracks and stations, said Sarwar Uddin Khan, a deputy general manager of the metro rail project.

Other components of the project include procuring coaches, locomotives, depot construction, and electrical and mechanical works.

Among the nine metro stations, three are in Uttara, two in Mirpur, and one each in Pallabi, Kazipara, Shewrapara, and Agargaon.

In May this year, the metro rail project authorities signed two contracts with Italian Thai Development Public Company Ltd for construction of the elevated railway and stations from north Uttara to Pallabi and from Pallabi to Agargaon.

The authorities gave the work order to the contractors on Tuesday.      

Despite delays in the project implementation process, the authorities hope that the first part of the metro rail (Uttara to Agargaon) would be operational in 2019.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the construction work of the metro rail, also known as Mass Rapid Transit Line-6, in June last year.

The 20km metro rail from Uttara to Motijheel will have 16 stations through Uttara, Mirpur, Rokeya Sarani, Khamarbari, Farmgate, Sonargaon hotel, Shahbagh, Doel Chattar and Topkhana road. The project's estimated cost is Tk 22,000 crore.

According to Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), 14 trains would operate every three minutes and carry 60,000 passengers every hour in both directions.

The estimated time to travel the 20km distance, from north end of Uttara to Motijheel, is 35 minutes. The trains would have six cars each, all air conditioned.