Dhaka’s metro rail is struggling to keep up with surging passenger demand, forcing operators to increase the number of train trips instead of adding extra coaches as originally planned.

Officials at Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which operates the metro rail, said each six-coach train can carry around 2,300 passengers at full capacity. Adding two more coaches to each train could accommodate nearly 1,000 additional passengers without increasing crew size or fuel costs. However, technical complications and high expenses have stalled the plan to extend the number of coaches.

“Right now, we’re focusing on increasing the number of train trips,” said DMTCL Managing Director Faruque Ahmed. “New staff have been recruited, and after training is completed, we plan to add more trips within the next one or two months.”

The metrorail began operations in December 2022 on the Uttara–Agargaon route, extending to Motijheel a year later. Since then, passenger numbers have increased rapidly. DMTCL data show more than 400,000 people use the metro daily, with a record 456,746 passengers on August 6. Each train carries around 2,000 passengers on average, a limit that officials say is nearly impossible to exceed under the current system.

Initially, plans called for two extra coaches per train to meet rising demand. Stations were built long enough—170 meters—to accommodate eight-coach trains, leaving unused space on platforms for future expansion. But contractors from Japan warned that additional coaches would require significant new investment and time.

Complicating matters further, existing platforms lack the doors and signaling systems needed for extra coaches. Installing new doors at all 17 stations and upgrading the electrical network would be a major undertaking.

Consultants had projected that six-coach trains would be sufficient until 2030, but passenger growth has already outpaced forecasts. Future metro lines in Dhaka, however, are expected to operate with eight-coach trains from the beginning.