maglev rapid transit, not maglev bullet train.
This story was printed from TODAYonline
From Woodlands to Johor by train in three minutes?
Wednesday December 6, 2006
Lee Ching Wern
[email protected] mediacorp.com.sg
FORGET about the hour-long Causeway jams. In three years,
Singaporeans may be able to take a train and zip across from
Woodlands to Johor in less than three minutes.
SMRT and a Johor construction company are in talks to erect 3-4
km-long monorail track linking Singapore's MRT stations at
Woodlands or Kranji to Johor Baru's new RM3 billion monorail
system.
If the plan goes through, the monorail for which construction is
scheduled to begin next year will be elevated across the Johor
Straits and curve into the Kranji area.
A deal between SMRT Corporation and Johor transport construction
company Jalur Mudra Sdn Bhd (JM) which will build the Johor
monorail could be clinched within the "next couple of months",
JM's executive director Nebojsa Novakovic told Today.
An SMRT spokesperson added: "We are open to various forms of
partnership and are waiting for details regarding the project from
Jalur Mudra Sdn Bhd for our consideration."
Among the issues that need to be ironed out will be the customs and
immigrations procedures all-seater trains have been suggested to
simplify matters as well as the structure of the deal
itself.
SMRT has already submitted a letter of intent to JM, indicating
that it is keen to be part of the project.
There have been no political roadblocks so far. Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong had recently remarked on the "mixed signals" coming out
of Johor over Singapore's participation in its mega development
project.
"JM has informed the Johor State Government of SMRT's proposal and
there has been no objection so far," said Mr Novakovic.
Nor will the past disputes between Singapore and Malaysia over the
Causeway and a proposed bridge stand in the way, he
indicated.
According to sources, SMRT has offered to take up an equity stake
of up to 45 per cent in the project. However, they say the Johor
State Government is likely to cap SMRT's stake at 15 per
cent.
The project will be 30% owned by the Johor Baru City Council
(MBJB), which will provide the land and right of way, but not
money, said Mr Novakovic.
To make things simpler, this initiative will be privately
funded.
"It has to be financially viable as it is politically doable. This
fits very nicely into the master plan of SMRT and JM. There is no
government funding from either side. So far there has been no
stumbling blocks," said Mr Novakovic.
Another possibility is for JM to engage SMRT as a technology
partner or business consultant.
"It's most likely to be all of the above options," said Mr
Novakovic.
JM is now waiting to sign official concession agreements, after
which it will try to hammer out its deal with SMRT, subject to
approval from authorities.
Analysts think it's a lucrative project.
"This will be a profitable line because of the traffic. Everyday,
you have 50,000 people commuting across the Causeway. With the
monorail, even more people will cross the Causeway during the
weekends," said a transport analyst at a foreign bank.
FACTS about the Johor Baru Monorail:
The Johor Baru monorail, which travels at a speed of 100km per hour
is faster than Singapore's MRT and will be based on the "maglev" or
magnetic levitation technology. In this, magnetic forces lift,
propel and guide trains over an elevated guideway.
The monorail will initially serve a 13.5km stretch from the state
capital to AEON Tebrau City in the proposed logistics hub. Another
50km of railway lines will be added subsequently to serve other
parts of the state. The Singapore link will be about 3km-to-4km
long.
