The Malaysia-Singapore $26BN High Speed Railway

This is the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Railway, and it is a 350-kilometer mega transit system that will bring a giant leap in social-economic development and international cooperation for the two countries. This massive transportation plan is estimated to cost a whopping $26 billion US dollars making it one of the most ambitious plans pursued of the two countries.

Courtesy of myHSR.

Narrated by Tom McKay
Video Produced by Behave_ID

Some footages are for presentation only and may or may not represent the actual project.

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Music(s):
Nine Lives by YouTube Audio Library

Timestamp(s):
0:00 Connecting KL-SG
0:25 The Details
1:08 The History
1:24 Project Cancellation
1:43 Project Revival?
2:08 The Costs
2:30 The Contractors
3:03 The Opportunities
3:59 The Drawbacks
4:47 End

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Summary Script

This remarkable iconic project will have seven stations in Malaysia, these are in Bandar-Malaysia, Sepang-Putrajaya, Seremban, Melaka, Muar, Batu Pahat, and Iskandar Puteri before reaching its final destination in Jurong East, Singapore.

The lines accommodating this 350-kilometer track are accompanied by a double-track on standard gauge and be powered by very high-speed modern technologies. And the rolling stocks are expected to run an operating speed of over 320 kilometers per hour which means that the express service will only take 90 minutes going from Malaysia’s first station to Singapore. This would make the KL-SG HSR as Southeast Asia’s fastest and most efficient mode of transportation.

This engine for growth, however, isn’t very new. The idea for an HSR between Singapore and Malaysia was proposed way back in 1997 after the Asian Financial Crisis. More than a decade later, the plans were revised again in 2010. And, to most people’s knowledge, this has unfortunately been canceled recently.

This was because of the emergence of a new party in 2018 where the old government which had ruled Malaysia since 1959 had lost the elections and the outcome of all these was the cancellation of the innovative project entirely in January 2021.

Despite the termination and crushed dreams for the citizens of both countries. There have been calls for the revival of the plan and the Singaporean government has shown acquiescence to accepting fresh proposals. And the current Prime Minister of Malaysia who has made his first official visit to Singapore said that they are also open to reviving discussion. For now, however, these plans may have a long way to go but once it does get off the ground it may prove to be an enormous economic benefit.

The cost of this project, if it does stay with its former proposal of 350 kilometers is estimated at around $26 billion US dollars. Such a massive price tag will need cooperation for both parties and as usual, most mega projects have always had cost overruns in the past, so we can expect significant changes as talks and constructions continue.

A massive project will also present a massive opportunity. Especially knowing that both Malaysia and Singapore are economic hubs and thus nobody wants to miss out on cashing in. To ensure that everything does go well, they have set up a company to take ownership and development of the project from the start.

This company is called the MyHSR and SG HSR, which is guided and helped by Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat Land Public Transport Commission of Malaysia and the Land Transport Authority of Singapore to ensure that both countries partake on their part of a 50/50 contribution.

As noted earlier, a massive project would both present a massive opportunity but might as well have some drawbacks to it. The first thing everyone should know is that the completion of this railway will make businesses more productive and competitive, a feat that would not only make Singapore retain its top spot as the world’s most competitive economy but may as well ensure its spot in the years to come.

This HSR will also boost both country's economies through increased connectivity as it will enable companies to have greater access to marketplaces internationally. And not just that, but the public will have so much to look forward to as well. Ordinary citizens will have a great traveling experience enhanced by shorter travel time. Their ride will be more comfortable and convenient via the HSR’s city center connections along both corridors.

The drawbacks of this project, however, might also be rather problematic ones. For example, building this mammoth infrastructure might cause environmental damage and increase land occupation. Since both Kuala Lampur and Singapore are already quite industrialized, it might not be a good idea to make it even more urbanized because of these reasons.