Prime Minister Najib Razak and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong were present at the signing ceremony of the MoU at Seri Perdana.
It was signed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan and Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Khaw Boon Wan.
According to the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), the MoU captures the key points of the agreement on the project, including the technical parameters, commercial model, Customs, Immigration & Quarantine (CIQ) clearance, safety and security matters, regulatory framework, as well as project management.
The construction of civil infrastructure and stations in each country will be undertaken by MyHSR Corporation in Malaysia and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore.
An assets company would be appointed via international tender to provide and maintain the HSR assets, in particular the HSR trains and its associated systems (e.g. track, power, signalling and telecommunications), said SPAD.
OpCo International will operate the international HSR services (the 90-minute non-stop Bandar Malaysia-Singapore Express Service, and the Iskandar Puteri-Singapore Shuttle Service), while OpCo Domestic will operate the domestic service within Malaysia.
Immigration facilities will also be located at three locations – Singapore, Iskandar Puteri and Kuala Lumpur.
International-bound passengers will need to undergo clearance by both Malaysia and Singapore authorities only at the point of departure, and not at the point of arrival.
The HSR will have eight stations – the terminals in Bandar Malaysia and Singapore, and six intermediate stations in Putrajaya, Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri.
All stations will be designed to integrate with the local public transport systems.
The trains will run at a top speed of more than 300kph.
A bilateral committee, with representatives from both governments, will be formed to manage and regulate aspects of the project which might impact cross-border services.
A Joint Project Team, comprising representatives from MyHSR Corporation and LTA, will be formed to coordinate joint aspects of planning and development works prior to the commencement of operations.
The Joint Project Team will call for an international tender next month to appoint a Joint Development Partner to provide technical support to both countries on the project.