Singapore, Malaysia unveil details of upcoming tender for high-speed rail assets company

SINGAPOREAN and Malaysian authorities on Wednesday shared details with industry partners on what they expect of the company that will play a central role in the development of the high-speed rail linking the two countries.

The assets company for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project is expected to show commitment in seven areas, chief of all safety and security, and availability and reliability in the delivery of the system. This company will design, build, finance and maintain all rolling stock and rail assets

The company is also expected to develop and implement a network code that will apply to all persons and entities involved in the project.

These details were shared by Malaysia's MyHSR Corporation and the Land Transport Authority of Singapore in Singapore at an industry briefing, the largest for the project so far.

The participants were briefed on what an upcoming tender for the assets company, due in the final quarter of 2017, would look like. The briefing included information on tender parameters, procurement processes and the harmonisation of regulatory requirements.

The remaining areas that the parties interested in winning the tender are expected to commit to are, in descending order of priority: proven technology, operations flexibility, customer-centric design, financial sustainability and collaborative project implementation.

The briefing attracted close to 400 participants from 165 international and local organisations including 67 from Europe, 29 from Malaysia and 25 from Singapore.

These entities come from a wide spectrum of sectors, including civil construction, train operation, rolling stock, government and legal.

The governments of Singapore and Malaysia signed a bilateral agreement on Dec 13, 2016, to embark on the high-speed rail project. Operations are expected to commence by Dec 31, 2026.