Home to around 15 million people, Dhaka is not only the largest city in Bangladesh but also one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world. So it should come as no surprise that it also has some of the world’s worst traffic congestion. Launched in 2016, the Dhaka Metro Rail project forms part of a 20-year-long Strategic Transport Plan (STP) aimed at alleviating part of the problem. And as a recognised global leader in contact and catenary wires for railway systems, Lamifil was contracted to provide state-of-the-art alloys to fast-track the completion of metro line 6, the first in Dhaka’s proposed metro network.
Challenging specifications
The strict structural and design constraints of the Dhaka Metro Rail project as well as mechanical and electrical requirements called for contact wires of a specific dimension and made from a very specific copper alloy. Add to that, the short lead times and strict deadlines and it was clear that only a global player of Lamifil’s calibre would be capable of bringing the project to a successful completion.
High-quality alloy and proven expertise
Lamifil’s solution comprised the supply of all copper-tin alloy contact wire required for metro line 6 as well as copper catenary wire to span the 20km stretch between Motijheel in the city’s centre and Uttara in the north.
Lamifil was chosen by the contractor Larsen & Toubro, not only for its world-renowned expertise and proven experience in Asia but above all for its ability to supply the quantities, dimensions and specific types of alloy required to a very high standard and in a very short timeframe. As a result, final delivery of catenary wires for line 6 of Dhaka’s Metro Rail project is scheduled for March next year, helping to improve urban mobility and alleviate the city’s heavy congestion and associated air pollution.
