Does China have the inside track in race with Japan for Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail contract?
Authorities say a final decision will be based solely on the merits and what’s in the best economic interests of both nations, but that has not stopped high-level lobbying for the lucrative gravy train
Singapore and Malaysia on Thursday said some 200 participants this week attended a London briefing on the project – a 350km bullet train line that will slash travel time from the Lion City to Kuala Lumpur from hours by road to 90 minutes by rail.
An open tender for the privately financed company that will design, build, finance and maintain the link will be called by the end of this year. It is likely to be awarded by the end of next year.
There is no official cost estimate, but media reports have put the worth of the project between 50 billion ringgit to 66 billion ringgit (HK$122 billion).
Most of the eight-stop line, 335km, will be in Malaysia, with the remaining 15km in Singapore.
Potential bidders who attended the latest meeting – the second since July – were told “the tender will be carried out in an open and fair manner”, authorities from both sides said in a joint statement. “Every bid will be assessed on its own merits and there will not be any requirement for local partners.”