SINGAPORE, Jan 5 — The plan to have two services plying the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) route, one direct service and another with transit stops, remains in discussion, as both sides consider the project’s “commercial and operating models, including the possibility of two different services”, Singapore’s Transport Ministry said in a statement tonight in response to media queries. This was to clarify a report by The Edge Financial Daily published online yesterday (January 4).
Chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal of MyHSR Corp Sdn Bhd, which is owned by Malaysia’s Finance Ministry and is developing the rail project, had talked about stakeholders “envisioning to start with two services — one that will go directly to Singapore, and another that will stop with transit services in Bandar Malaysia, Seremban, Malacca, Muar, Batu Pahat and Nusajaya, and then (across the Causeway to) Singapore”.
The Singapore Transport Ministry spokesperson said: “Singapore has proposed that the transit service, which will stop at several stations in Malaysia and hence primarily serve commuters travelling within Malaysia, be operated separately from the express non-stop HSR service. This will give Malaysia autonomy over the transit service to serve Malaysia’s domestic needs, while both countries work together on the cross-border HSR services.”
Mohd Nur Ismal said in the interview that travel time on the nonstop service is slated to be 90 minutes from terminals in Bandar Malaysia and Jurong East in Singapore. The other with six transit stops in Malaysia should take about two hours, depending on customs and immigration clearance.
As for Mohd Nur Ismal’s remark that both sides have “come to a consensus on the alignment of the 330km high-speed rail”, Singapore said the issue is also under discussion and would be finalised after detailed engineering studies are done.
Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority jointly launched a request for information (RFI) exercise a few months ago to test public perception, industry opinion and gauge market interest in the rail project.
Singapore said the exercise was completed last month, and both countries are studying the feedback thoroughly and will use this feedback “to improve the project’s commercial and operating models and procurement approach”.
The project is reportedly said to be pushing the RM70 billion mark, but Mohd Nur Islam dismissed the figure as mere “speculation”, The Edge Financial Daily reported.
“We are still in the midst of discussions with Singapore,” he said. “We are trying to decide on the common grounds, the approach to tendering ... This will determine if it is a government design-and-build contract, or if certain parts (will be) done in other manners. So, it’s still not decided.”
On whether there is a deadline to finalise the key issues, he said: “We have to come up with the best decisions for both countries ... that is of high priority. However long it takes to get to the right decision, we will do it.” ― TODAY
