SMRT unit in JV with Faiveley Transport to offer MRO services for rolling stock

SMRT subsidiary Singapore Rail Engineering (SRE) and Faiveley Transport, a global manufacturer and supplier of railway equipment, have entered into a joint venture agreement to market and supply maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for rolling stock components in South-east Asia.

The scope of the agreement covers the region except for Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The joint venture company, called Faiveley Rail Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd, will market and supply MRO services for brakes, access doors, platform screen doors, heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and automatic power supply (APS) systems. The JV will also provide prospective clients with readily available advanced logistics and warehousing services to enhance the availability of trains.

It will be headquartered in Singapore and contribute directly to improving the reliability and availability of trains, and improving overall travel experience for Singapore commuters, said Mario Favaits, managing director of SRE.

"As Southeast Asian countries including Singapore develop their rail networks, we believe that the market for MRO services will grow significantly over the next 10 years," he added. "Train operators, such as SMRT, will be the direct beneficiaries of the new MRO services offered by Faiveley Rail Engineering Singapore Pte Ltd."

Stéphane Rambaud-Measson, chairman and CEO of Faiveley Transport, said: "Our state-of-the-art technology will contribute to improve the efficiency of rail transportation by optimising energy consumption and increasing reliability and availability."