The prospect of dinner in Kuala Lumpur's Alor
Road, supper in Malacca's Jonker Street and a return to Singapore before
clubbing hours is looking more likely, going by published details of the
planned high-speed rail (HSR) link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
According
to Malaysia's Land Public Transport Commission, the rail service is proposed to
have stops in Seremban, Ayer Keroh (Malacca), Muar, Batu Pahat and Nusajaya in
Johor, not far from a motorsports hub being built by Singapore tycoon Peter
Lim.
Passengers
will take two-and-a-half hours to go from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, said the
commission.
This
includes time for waiting, transfers and immigration clearance, and is shorter
than the five hours by car and four by plane.
Actual
travel time between the two cities is estimated at 90 minutes.
Besides
an express service, the line will also have transit trains that stop at the
cities in between.
With
stops, travel time could be one to two hours longer.
The
commission estimated that the HSR will carry up to 49,000 passengers daily by
its 10th year of operation, giving rise to an annual ridership of 17.9 million.
It
predicts that annual ridership will hit 251 million by 2060.
In
comparison, the HSR link between Taipei and Kaohsiung - about the length of the
Singapore-KL link - has an annual ridership of 44.5 million.
In
2011, the southern corridor, which the proposed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR will
ply, accounted for 7.45 billion trips by car, bus and plane, according to the
commission.
A
spokesman for the commission said it may be able to share more details in
September.
The
Straits Times understands that the Singapore and Malaysian governments have
been meeting once a month on the project.
In
Singapore, the LTA called a tender in April for a feasibility study on possible
locations of the HSR's terminus in the republic.
Three
possible sites have been raised: Tuas West, Jurong East and the city centre.
The
authority said the tender has not yet been awarded, but it has received
inquiries from several countries which are keen to take part in the project.
These include Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Like
many on both sides of the Causeway, Barry Kan is excited about the line.
The
chief executive of FASTrack Autosports, a Singapore-led company that is
building a race track in Nusajaya, said: "We heard there will be a station
near our circuit, but there's been no official confirmation.
"If
there is one, it will be more convenient for Singaporeans for sure. But even if
there wasn't a station, I think enthusiasts will still come to the track."
In an
interview with The Star last month, Malaysia's Land Public Transport Commission
chief executive Mohamad Nur Ismal Kamal said train fares will be comparable to
budget airline fares. They range from S$72 (US$57.67) to S$112 (US$89.70) for
flights in mid-July.
Christopher
Tan
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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