Siemens to bid for rail electrification projects in M'sia

KUALA LUMPUR: After having successfully supplied trains and systems for Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd's (ERL) maiden air-rail link in 2002, German engineering giant, Siemens AG, is eyeing three rail development projects in Malaysia for next year.

Siemens chief executive officer for Rail Electrification Mirko Dusel said the group was keen to participate in the much anticipated RM160bil rail developments projects which were recently offered by the government.

"We are keen to participate in the High-Speed Rail (HSR) link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) Line 2 and Line 3 projects which are government-related rail development projects.

"We hope to secure some jobs in the much anticipated HSR link which would ferry commuters from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in 90 minutes," he told Bernama.
Trains currently take about six hours to make the 300km journey between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. By road, the journey takes about four hours.

Dusel said Siemens Malaysia would bid for projects in rail electrification, rolling stock and coordination.

"We are still in the process of evaluating our complete portfolio for this contract. We, at Siemens, are looking at participating in these projects as we are confident our expertise would add value to the project," he said.

Based on its ERL experience, Siemens hopes to apply its expertise for the new projects.

The group made its footprint in Malaysia when it supplied and installed a high-speed baggage handling system for the ERL project.

For the KVMRT, the consortium of Siemens Malaysia, Siemens AG and SMH Rail Sdn Bhd, secured the coveted rolling stock and, depot equipment and vehicles maintenance contracts worth RM1.37bil and RM148mil, respectively.

Meanwhile, Siemens Malaysia President and Chief Executive Officer Prakash Chandran said rail electrification in Malaysia would not only allow trains to run at short intervals but would boost the frequency over certain routes.

"Ultimately, the aim is to also help improve traffic congestion in Malaysia. When there is increased line capacity this would mean more cars will be taken off the roads," said Chandran.

He added that the Malaysian market was growing faster than the global Gross Domestic Product and Siemens viewed this as an addressable market.

"We are well well-positioned and have adequate technology to cater for the market," he said, adding that Siemens was involved in rail system projects in Hawaii, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, New Zealand and Russia. - Bernama