Railways gets $1-bn project for high-speed line in Malaysia

The Indian Railways has bagged a $1 billion contract to construct a 103-km electrified high-speed double line in Malaysia...

The Indian Railways has bagged a $1 billion contract to construct a 103-km electrified high-speed double line in Malaysia, even as it drags its feet on a similar project planned along the Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar route. Two years after the idea was first mooted, even the consultants to conduct the pre-feasibility study for the high-speed passenger railway system at home are yet to be appointed.

The Malaysian project has been awarded to IRCON International Ltd, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways. According to the plan, a high-speed meter gauge will be constructed on the Seremban-Gemas sector on a turnkey basis.

The formal signing of the contract is slated to take place on May 16 during Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s visit to Malaysia. The Malaysian Transport Minister, Datuk Ong Tee Keat, will also be present.

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“The project is significant since we will be executing it on a turnkey basis. In addition to designing and building the double line, we will be doing the electrification and signaling works too,” said a senior IRCON official.

“Malaysia currently has a rail link from Singapore to Padang Besar on the Thailand border. Since the Seremban-Gemas sector falls on the Singapore-Padang Besar route, it will facilitate movement of high-speed passenger trains between Singapore and the Thai border through Malaysia,” added the official.

At present, a low-speed passenger rail line exists between Seremban and Gemas. IRCON will now be constructing the high-speed double line (two parallel tracks) on the same sector. The project, involving the construction of 34 river bridges and 13 road overbridges has to be completed within four years, said IRCON officials.

Meanwhile, during his week-long visit to Singapore and Malaysia, Lalu is also slated to attend a presentation on the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit System and visit the Kuala Lumpur Monorail Office, in addition to addressing the students and faculty of INSEAD Business School on the “Turnaround of Indian Railways”.