China has inside track on high-speed rail link as Malaysia, Singapore ink deal
A proposed high-speed rail linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur has sparked interest among major Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean rail firms
Malaysia has signed a final accord with Singapore to build a high-speed railway line linking its biggest city Kuala Lumpur with the city state country by 2026, with an international tender set to take place by the end of next year.
The massive infrastructure project, unofficially estimated to be worth $10-18 billion, has attracted significant international attention, with competition for the contract heating up among favourites China and Japan.
Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsieng Loong witnessed the signing Tuesday of the bilateral agreement at his office in Putrajaya, the federal administrative capital, three years after both leaders first mooted the project billed as a “game changer”.
Operations for what could be Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway project linking Malaysia and Singapore will commence by December 2026, according to their prime ministers.
“It will transform the way we interact, socialise, do business...and give both sides a big stake in keeping the relationship stable and warm,” Lee said at a joint press conference, referring to the project as “a significant milestone in our relationship.”
