バングラ初の都市鉄道開業　日本支援、渋滞緩和へ

　【ニューデリー時事】バングラデシュの首都ダッカを走る同国初の都市型鉄道「ダッカメトロ」が２８日、一部区間で開業し、式典が行われた。建設には円借款を活用。複数の日本企業が施工などに関わり、日本の運行ノウハウを導入した。
　今回開業したのは複数の路線のうち「６号線」の一部約１２キロの区間。２０００万人以上が暮らすダッカで深刻になっている交通渋滞や大気汚染の緩和が期待される。
　車両の製造は川崎重工業が手掛けた。高温多湿の環境に配慮し、大容量の空調設備を搭載。女性専用車両も設けており、開業に当たり国内初の女性運転士が採用された。
　式典に出席したハシナ首相は「バングラの発展という王冠に新たな羽（の飾り）が加わった」と喜びを表した。国際協力機構（ＪＩＣＡ）によると、６号線の総事業費約４３５２億円のうち、６割弱を日本の有償資金協力で賄う。（2022/12/29-05:33）

Bangladesh's first urban railway, which runs through the country's capital of Dhaka and was built with support from Japan, partially opened on Wednesday.
   A ceremony was held the same day to mark the opening of a 12-kilometer section of the Dhaka Metro railway, with the attendance of Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh. The new railway is expected to help ease traffic congestion and air pollution that have become serious in the capital city, where over 20 million people live.
   The construction of Dhaka Metro was partially financed by low-interest yen loans from the Japanese government and involved multiple Japanese companies that offered expertise in railway operations acquired in Japan.
   Dhaka Metro's train cars were manufactured by Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. . They are equipped with large capacity air conditioning units, in consideration of the hot and humid environment in Bangladesh.
   The country's first female train operator was hired for the opening of Dhaka Metro, whose train cars include women-only cars.