By Sharen Kaur
sharen@mediaprima.com.my
Published in NST on May 2, 2013
FOUR consortiums will bid for the multi-billion ringgit high-speed rail (HSR) link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, sources said.
Business Times was told that Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary's MMC Corp Bhd is forming a consortium with Gamuda Bhd and roping in Chinese and European system integrators to bid for the HSR project.
Malaysia and Singapore in February had in principal agreed to build the HSR link between the two countries, with a target completion date of 2020.
The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has said that details of the HSR link is being ironed out and tenders will be called by year-end.
SPAD chief development officer Azmi Abdul Aziz said the project will start this year.
Business Times has reported that the government is budgeting around RM40 billion for the project, which includes RM10 billion to buy high-speed bullet trains.
The HSR project has attracted three proposals over the last five years. They are from UEM Group Bhd-Ara Group; YTL Corp Bhd; and China Infraglobe-Global Rail Sdn Bhd.
It is understood that government investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd is also eyeing the HSR link and its involvement in the project will be via UEM Group, in which it holds a substantial stake.
UEM Group, meanwhile, is working with Ara Group, founded by Tan Sri Ravindran Menon, to form a consortium with European companies that may include Spanish bullet train maker Talgo.
Business Times reported recently that Talgo, part of a consortium that won a US$9 billion (RM27.4 billion) HSR job in Saudi Arabia last year, is planning to offer its "duck" train here.
Talgo believes its "El Pato" (Spanish for duck) trains are suitable for Malaysia's HSR project.
Its deputy chairman Mario Oriol said it is talking to several Malaysian companies, including the current interested bidders, to form a consortium and bid for the HSR project here.
The source said YTL Corp, controlled by Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, is also interested in the project and will make a bid with several foreign firms, which may include Siemens AG.
The group first mooted the idea to build the HSR link in 2008 but the proposal was shot down by the government due to the high cost, which was RM8 billion then.
Global Rail, a privately-held railway engineering firm, meanwhile, is in talks with Canada's Bombardier Inc and Chinese firm China Railway Group, the source said.
"We expect another group to come in but so far, these are the four interested parties. They are strengthening their position by bundling in experts and expertise," the source added.
sharen@mediaprima.com.my
Published in NST on May 2, 2013
 |
Business Times was told that Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary's MMC Corp Bhd is forming a consortium with Gamuda Bhd and roping in Chinese and European system integrators to bid for the HSR project.
Malaysia and Singapore in February had in principal agreed to build the HSR link between the two countries, with a target completion date of 2020.
The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has said that details of the HSR link is being ironed out and tenders will be called by year-end.
Business Times has reported that the government is budgeting around RM40 billion for the project, which includes RM10 billion to buy high-speed bullet trains.
The HSR project has attracted three proposals over the last five years. They are from UEM Group Bhd-Ara Group; YTL Corp Bhd; and China Infraglobe-Global Rail Sdn Bhd.
It is understood that government investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd is also eyeing the HSR link and its involvement in the project will be via UEM Group, in which it holds a substantial stake.
UEM Group, meanwhile, is working with Ara Group, founded by Tan Sri Ravindran Menon, to form a consortium with European companies that may include Spanish bullet train maker Talgo.
Business Times reported recently that Talgo, part of a consortium that won a US$9 billion (RM27.4 billion) HSR job in Saudi Arabia last year, is planning to offer its "duck" train here.
Talgo believes its "El Pato" (Spanish for duck) trains are suitable for Malaysia's HSR project.
Its deputy chairman Mario Oriol said it is talking to several Malaysian companies, including the current interested bidders, to form a consortium and bid for the HSR project here.
The source said YTL Corp, controlled by Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, is also interested in the project and will make a bid with several foreign firms, which may include Siemens AG.
The group first mooted the idea to build the HSR link in 2008 but the proposal was shot down by the government due to the high cost, which was RM8 billion then.
Global Rail, a privately-held railway engineering firm, meanwhile, is in talks with Canada's Bombardier Inc and Chinese firm China Railway Group, the source said.
"We expect another group to come in but so far, these are the four interested parties. They are strengthening their position by bundling in experts and expertise," the source added.
No comments:
Post a Comment