Tata and two Japanese firms win 5.182 km underground section of first underground metro rail

A joint venture of India's Tata Projects and Japan's Nishimatsu Construction and Toda Corporation has won construction work for a key section of the country's first underground metro rail.

Tata Projects confirmed the award in a statement on Thursday (12 November). Indian newspaper The Economic Times also reported the matter.

The three-company joint venture received the work from Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) under Contract Package CP06. The package covers construction of a 5.182-kilometre underground section of the metro rail.

This section will include three underground stations: Khilkhet, Airport Third Terminal and Airport. A shaft, or deep well, is also planned at the northern end of the line.

The work includes civil work, architectural finishing, and installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

For Metro Rail Line-1, contracts for four major construction packages were signed in Dhaka on 4 November. They cover underground tunnel and station construction, track and electrical systems, and signalling and telecommunications systems.

Under CP04, 4.447 kilometres will be built from the northern end of Rampura station to Natun Bazar, and under CP06, 5.182 kilometres from the northern end of Nadda station to the Airport. Together the two packages cover about 9.63 kilometres of underground railway.

CP09 covers track and electrical infrastructure, and CP10 covers modern signalling, telecommunications and platform screen doors. These include communications-based automatic train control technology, an optical-fibre network and LTE-based radio communications.

Metro Rail Line-1 is the country's first underground mass transit project. At the 4 November signing ceremony, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque said reducing Dhaka's congestion, cutting travel time and ensuring modern, quality public transport are among the government's priorities. He stressed construction quality, safety, environmental protection and completion on schedule.

At the same ceremony, Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi praised the Bangladesh government's initiative to advance the project. He assured continued Japanese cooperation in Bangladesh's infrastructure development.

Line-1 is planned at about 31.241 kilometres in total. It includes 19.872 kilometres underground from the Airport to Kamalapur and 11.369 kilometres from Natun Bazar to Pitalganj depot. Twelve underground stations are planned on the Airport route.