High Speed Rail – HSR
- Bandar Malaysia,
- Sepang-Putrajaya,
- Seremban,
- Melaka,
- Muar,
- Batu Pahat
- Iskandar Puteri
- Jurong East, Singapore.
The connectivity will enable businesses to be more productive and access a broader market place, while the public will enjoy an improved travel experience of shorter travel time (90 minutes from KL to Singapore) and a comfortable ride, through the HSR’s city centre to city centre connection along the corridor.
WHY HIGH SPEED RAIL WILL CHANGE SOUTHEAST ASIA FOREVER
Over the past decade, Southeast Asia’s economy grew at an unprecedented rate. Investors in turn have poured billions of dollars into the region’s businesses, real estate, and infrastructure.
High speed rail lines, which are cropping up throughout the region, are one of the areas where foreign investment is most widespread.
Chinese companies are now building a high speed rail system that will link Kunming, Laos, and Thailand. Likewise, Vietnam is planning on giving its current rail system a much-needed facelift.
All of these high speed rail projects will greatly boost local economies by promoting trade and tourism while providing plenty of work for local companies and citizens. Additionally, they will provide better access to more rural parts of the region that are difficult to reach.
While high speed rail lines will surely benefit Southeast Asia, it hasn’t been the smoothest ride. Large-scale infrastructure projects are time, cost, and labor intensive.
But despite a few occasional setbacks, high speed rail is moving along in Southeast Asia and its impact on the region will be tremendous.
Future of High Speed Rail in Southeast Asia
Whether built by China or Japan, high speed rail will surely play an important role in Southeast Asia’s economy in the next decade. Rail will most noticeably impact three development areas: trade, tourism, and rural communities.
New rail lines between Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, and China will strengthen trade partnerships among these countries by reducing transportation costs and increasing efficiency. Trains will also bring tourists to areas of these countries that are difficult to reach.
Rural communities along these rail lines will especially see an economic boost from hospitality revenue during construction. New job opportunities will arise after projects finish as business is lured by greater connectivity options.
The vast economic benefits of new railways can be tremendous.
KL-SINGAPORE HIGH SPEED RAIL TO GENERATE 70,000 JOBS
The project would also create opportunities for professionals, skilled workers, and students from all over the country to work along the corridor of the 335km alignment within Malaysia.
In addition, more than 60 civil work packages will result in over 5,000 sub-contract packages opened to local firms which will stimulate the growth of local industries. More than 40% in values of the civil work packages will be allocated to Bumiputera companies.
It also expected RM209bil in GNI contribution based on spill over effects in the rail and supporting industries as a result of developing HSR capabilities in 2035.