China is stepping up its efforts to ensure that it secures the tender for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project. In a report by The Star, China’s national rail operator, the China Railway Corporation, said it was confident of having the upper hand over other countries that have also expressed their interest in the project.
“We have been paying attention to this KL-Singapore HSR project, and know that some other countries are also keen. “Our confidence comes from our strengths in HSR which are incomparable to that of other countries,” he added, pointing out that China’s HSR technology was more compatible with existing rail standards here in the region,” said its deputy chief engineer Zhao Guotang in a pitch to selected reporters.
According to Zhao, the HSR lines in Hainan and around Guangzhou shared similarities with the proposed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore, including the weather conditions and length of the track (more than 300 km). Furthermore, both provide a direct link between two large cities while passing many major towns.
Zhao also highlighted China’s experience with HSR technology, where it now has a 19,000 km-long HSR network, which is five times as long as Spain’s, the world’s second largest in total HSR track. It also currently has 2,300 electric multiple unit (EMU) train sets, more than half of the world’s total.
China also has plans to add another 11,000 km of track within its borders by the year 2020, and to connect its southern provincial capital of Kunming near Myanmar, through to Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore via its HSR line.
The country’s use of “advanced machinery” made it so that the foundation of three to five building piles could be brought up in one day, allowing China to build all the needed KL-Singapore HSR tracks in just five years, claims Zhao. “We can finish in three to five years, but for other countries it may take seven to eight years,” he said.
Zhao said that while China has fixed the Wenzhou HSR accident in 2011 which killed 40 people, the republic had also upgraded its services, and now boasted a total of 3.5 million passengers using its lines daily, with a 99% punctuality rate.
China’s good relationship with Malaysia and Singapore was also considered an advantage in the pursuit of the project. Both countries are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate the project soon.
Malaysia’s HSR project delivery vehicle MyHSR Corp will start the tender process for the project later this year. A spokesman also said that it closed an open tender for the appointment of the company’s technical advisory consultant that will assist the company in further defining the technical details of the project.
When asked if China would reassess its regional plans or carry on with the Bandar Malaysia terminal if it was not able to win the HSR line project, Zhao stated that it wasn’t necessary for both projects to connect together.
“Besides the economical profit, we are considering a lot of other profits we may bring to (other) countries In this process, for the construction and in equipment manufacturing, we are organising a lot of relative enterprises to push forward our corporation,” he said, adding that the enterprises independent of China Railway.
South Korea is also looking to transfer its HSR technology over to Malaysia, but the details have yet to be finalised. Meanwhile, Japan’s Shinkansen boasts an impressive safety record, where not a single person has been killed riding on a bullet train there since it began operations in 1964, which may help the country in its bid to secure the KL-Singapore HSR line project.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express mixed feelings about the KL-Singapore HSR project, with many showing concern over foreign involvement, especially Chinese trains, citing safety, quality, and political issues. Some support Japanese or Korean options, emphasizing safety records and engineering expertise. Others criticize the tender process, perceived corruption, and high costs. There is skepticism about China’s build quality and geopolitical motives, along with calls for transparent bidding and technology transfer. Overall, sentiments highlight apprehension about safety, costs, and regional geopolitics.