Malaysia might also consider scaling down the project to trim costs, which could see train speeds reduced.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said the revived Bandar Malaysia project will house a Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, although Malaysia and Singapore have yet to finalise details of the project.
“We have not decided on the HSR project itself, but yes, it (Bandar Malaysia) will have an HSR station,” said Dr Mahathir following the signing of the Bandar Malaysia agreement at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday (17 Dec), reported The New Paper, citing The Star.
Malaysia considering to trim cost for HSR project; train speeds to be affected
Dr Mahathir also said talks on the HSR project’s resumption may happen in 2020, and Malaysia might consider scaling down to trim costs, which could see train speeds reduced.
“We would like to spend less money on this project as it is very expensive. Maybe we have to do some adjustments in order to reduce the cost, and reducing its speed may be part of it,” he said.
“It need not necessarily be as fast as 400kmh. If it travels that fast, it might just speed all the way to Alor Setar (northern tip of Peninsular Malaysia). So we will look into what is a more suitable speed.”
In December 2016, Singapore and Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional (BN) administration signed a bilateral agreement to build a 350km high-speed railway connecting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore at an estimated cost of RM110 billion (S$36 billion).
The line was meant to cut travel time between Malaysia and Singapore to 90 minutes, and was initially slated to have a terminus at Bandar Malaysia – a 197ha mixed development with residential and commercial sites – and another at Jurong East in Singapore.
However, the project was temporarily suspended when the Pakatan Harapan coalition took over Malaysia after it ousted BN last year.
The two governments agreed to a two-year deferment of the project to 31 May 2020, with Malaysia reimbursing the city-state $15 million to cover costs of delaying the HSR line.
Looking for a property in Singapore? Visit PropertyGuru’s Listings, Project Reviews and Guides.
Victor Kang, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email victorkang@propertyguru.com.sg
