SMEC secures rail and metro contracts in Bangladesh and India
Infrastructure consultancy SMEC is set to support the design of a metro project in Bangalore, India and a rail development project between Darshana and Meherpur in Bangladesh. SMEC executives point out the economic value that the new projects could bring.
In Bangalore, the firm has been brought on board to design both the viaduct and the stations for phases 2A and 2B of the Bangalore Metro. The appointment was made by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation, which has asked SMEC for detailed designs of the two lines, which stretch across 24 kilometres.
The two phases extend from Bangalore’s Central Silk Board Junction to HBR Layout, stretching along the city’s Outer Ring Road. Eighteen elevated stations feature in the new infrastructure plan, which is expected to include architectural designs, building services, as well as electrical and mechanical works.
The Bangladesh project involves an extension of the current rail line that ends at Darshana. The government is looking to stretch this line beyond Darshana to run through Damurhuda and Mujibnagar all the way to Meherpur. The new line is not only aimed at improving connectivity to more remote parts of Bangladesh, but it will also facilitate tourism.
Mujibnagar is a prominent tourist destination in Bangladesh, given its historical significance as the city where the first independent government of Bangladesh swore oath in 1971. The new railway line will allow tourists from across Bangladesh and the rest of the world to visit the site.
SMEC’s role in the project is to prepare the design for the new railway line, along with a feasibility study. The firm will also tender services and conduct the research and mathematical modeling for the project. SMEC will be looking to use its expertise in project management and infrastructure across a variety of domains to support both projects.
“This adds to the considerable rail portfolio that SMEC has been developing in Bangladesh and India, where we are also working on the Chennai metro, the dedicated freight corridor and on Mumbai Metro Line 6. In Bangladesh, SMEC is delivering the Subregional Transport Project Preparatory Facility: Rail Component, 120 km Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar line, and 215.22 km Padma Bridge Rail Link Project,” said Janardhan Sundaran, Executive Director at SMEC India.
He also highlighted the contribution of the new projects to the community. “These important infrastructure works will also contribute to economic growth and community livelihoods through improved transport,” he added.