L&T Construction and Marubeni joint venture (JV) Railways Strategic Business Group has secured a Rs31.91bn ($470m) design and build contract from Bangladesh’s Dhaka Mass Transit Company (DMTC).

Under the contract, L&T will provide an electrical and mechanical systems package for the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (MRT-Line 6), the first route of the system in Bangladesh.

The deal was received through global competitive bidding, and also covers maintenance support service for a six-year period.

L&T Construction Railways Strategic Business Group CEO Rajeev Jyoti said: “This major order coming on the back of Mauritius LRT system won last year, is in line with our vision of becoming a ‘Full Range Rail System Integrator’.”

The package will involve the construction of ballastless track work in mainline, eight 1,500VDC traction substations (TSS), feeder messenger type DC overhead catenary system (OCS), energy storage system (ESS), and communication-based train control (CBTC) signalling system.

“Once complete, the Line-6 will connect Uttara and Motijheel in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and will pass through Pallabhi and Mirpur areas.”

It will also include the construction of a long-term evolution (LTE) based telecommunication system and radio communication system, automatic fare collection system, platform screen doors, lifts, escalators and overall system integration activities.

L&T Construction’s power transmission and distribution unit will execute the MRT system’s 132kV geographic information system (GIS)-based receiving substations, related extra high-voltage (EHV) cables from grid substations, auxiliary substations at stations and depot.

It will also implement the 33kV cable network along the viaduct and the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for the power supply arrangements.

The Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project is funded by the Japan International Agency (JICA) under a bilateral aid arrangement from Japan to Bangladesh.

Once complete, the Line-6 will connect Uttara and Motijheel in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and will pass through Pallabhi and Mirpur areas.

The elevated metro rail system will have 16 stations and a maintenance depot.