This was revealed in a briefing on the project by Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal, who is the chief executive of MyHSR Corporation, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. MyHSR is the agency in charge of the Malaysian share of the project.
He said the evaluation is expected to begin in late 2018, after the completion of a one-year period given for interested parties to submit their bid for the HSR systems package, that covers the actual rail track and train carriages.
This was the first time details of a time line had been provided for the project’s tender process, according to the Singapore daily.
“After the tender is open in the final quarter of 2017, bidders will be given a year to submit. Then, the two countries will do the evaluation,” Nur Ismal was quoted as saying by ST.
The briefing by MyHSR and Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) was held in view of the official signing of an agreement between the two countries for the 350km rail project, which is expected to be ready in 2026.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will join his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak in Putrajaya to witness the signing that will take place during their bilateral Leaders’ Retreat next week.
According to ST, speculation is rife that Malaysia favours handing the systems package to a Chinese company, in the wake of billions of ringgit worth of projects that Malaysia had signed in Beijing last month.
However, officials from both sides of the causeway have said they are committed to ensuring that the tender process is fair and transparent.
Previosly, Nur Ismal was reported to have said that the high-speed rail project would generate economic benefits and should be carried through, despite financially difficult times.
The HSR would link the upcoming Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur with the upcoming Jurong Lake District in Singapore, with stops in Seremban (Negeri Sembilan), Malacca, and the Johor cities of Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri (formerly Nusajaya).
With the potential to travel at speeds of up to 320kmh, the HSR will move passengers between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in 90 minutes.
Currently, alternative modes of transport on land take about four to five hours for the same journey.
MyHSR also annouced that both countries will co-locate their customs, immigration and quarantine facilities for the line at three stops – Jurong, Iskandar Puteri and Kuala Lumpur.
The tracks for the HSR will also be used to provide a new domestic rail service in Malaysia, connecting the townships of Iskandar Puteri, Batu Pahat, Muar, Ayer Keroh, Seremban and Putrajaya.
tags: HSR, myHSR, nur ismal Mohamed Kamal, jurong lake district, singapore, high-speed rail, bandar malaysia