Monday, July 29, 2013

KTMB to seal RM380 deal with French group

By Sharen Kaur
sharen@mediaprima.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Thales Group is expected to ink a RM380 million deal with national railway company Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) to supply railway signalling simulator and equipment.



Sources said under the deal, the French group will also provide facilities and training syllabus to KTMB’s Malaysian Railway Academy (MyRA) via its education arm Thales University.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU)between the two parties is expected to be signed today, witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who is scheduled for a two-day official visit here to discuss bilateral relations.

The MoU, arranged by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), is in line with the offset programmes under the Ministry of Defence.

Malaysia’s offset objectives are twofold, including to develop its high technology sectors.


Business Times understands that Thales is banking on the offset programmes to promote its railway transportation business in Malaysia.

Thales designs and builds electrical systems and provides services for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security markets.

The group is supplying its signalling system to both the Kelana Jaya and Ampang Light Rail Transit (LRT) line extension projects.

Its subsidiary, Thales Malaysia, was also awarded a contract of ?13.5 million (RM58 million) in 2011 to upgrade Kuala Lumpur’s monorail signalling system, which is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, MyRA, formerly a depot in Batu Gajah, Perak, is set to be the rail industry’s centre of excellence for Asean.

The centre was set up in 2010 to accommodate the relocation of rolling stock maintenance, equipment storage and training activities which were previously in Sentul.

It provides rail-related training such as operations, rolling stock maintenance, permanent way management and maintenance, and signalling system for KTMB employees and any other interested parties in the field of technical and non-technical areas.




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