Global design and engineering company, SMEC, has strengthened its significant infrastructure portfolio in South Asia, securing two major contracts in Bangladesh and India.

SMEC has been appointed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation to undertake the detailed design of viaduct and stations for Phases 2A and 2B of the Bangalore Metro in the state of Karnataka, India. In Bangladesh, SMEC and its subsidiary ACE Consultants have been awarded the feasibility study and detailed design for a new railway line from Darshana to Meherpur.

Dr Janardhan Sundaram, executive director of SMEC India, said the two major contracts would further cement the company’s leading position in South Asia’s rail and metro sector. “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.

“These important infrastructure works will also contribute to economic growth and community livelihoods through improved transport.”

Bangalore Metro Phases 2A and 2B include the 24-km section from Central Silk Board Junction to HBR Layout along Outer Ring Road, and 18 elevated stations. SMEC’s role is to produce optimal designs of all architectural, building services, electrical and mechanical works for the viaduct and stations. The project will improve the interconnectivity and reach of the metro while alleviating congestion and pollution, promoting the use of public transport in the city, and supporting the economic development of Bangalore and the state of Karnataka.

In Bangladesh, the government is investing in a rail connection from Darshana, where the current network ends, to Meherpur via Damurhuda and Mujibnagar. An integral part of Bangladesh’s history, Mujibnagar is where the first independent government of Bangladesh took the oath of office in April 1971. The extended rail connection will provide safe and comfortable access for tourists visiting the historic town, which will in turn boost the local economy. SMEC is delivering a feasibility study and detailed design for the new line, as well as tendering services and mathematical modelling including detailed surveys.

Images: SMEC