KL-Singapore high speed rail to boost development

PUTRAJAYA: The High Speed Rail Link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, which is expected to be completed by 2020 will boost development beside the railways and stations, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said today.

Based on initial study, he said five new railway stations would be built at Seremban (Negeri Sembilan), Ayer Keroh (Melaka), Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Johor (Johor) before heading to Singapore.

“This will bring about development at the area around the train stations and also along the railway line,” he told reporters at the ministry's Chinese New Year celebration, here today.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong made the announcement after a four-eyed meeting and bilateral talks in conjunction with the Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat in Singapore.

Both leaders agreed that this was a strategic development to bilateral relations that will dramatically improve the connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore.

Kong said more the than 400-kilometer rail link would enable the travel time between the two cities to be reduced to a mere 90 minute.

He hoped the High Speed Rail Link project would start soon as it would take time to implement.

“Most of the link will be built above ground,” he said adding that it would be a private-public partnership.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Kong said the transportation industry recorded positive growth in the aviation, land and maritime sectors last year.

He said the Road Transport Department revenue rose to RM3.3 billion last year as compared to RM3.1 billion in 2011 while the collection of revenue from vehicle registration number tender increased from RM180.78 million in 2011 to RM203.67 million last year. -- BERNAMA