Singapore to KL in 90mins: What you need to know about the High Speed Rail
Singapore and Malaysia officials yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail (HSR).
How fast will the train go?
It can travel at 300kmh and will take passengers from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in only 90 minutes.
Where do I board?
Passengers in Singapore will take the high-speed train in a new terminus to be built at Jurong East, where the Jurong Country Club is currently located.
Where will it take me?
The train will link passengers from the terminal at Jurong East to the one at the new township of Bandar Malaysia in Sungei Besi, about 3km from Kuala Lumpur city centre.
The HSR line will pass through six intermediate stations - Iskandar Puteri, Batu Pahat, Muar, Ayer Keroh, Seremban and Putrajaya - that will be connected by a domestic service.
There will also be a shuttle service between Singapore and Iskandar Puteri.
Two train operating-companies will be chosen by international tender to run the services - one for the two international trips and the other for the domestic Malaysian trips.
How much are we paying for its construction?
The project's price tag is estimated to be RM60 billion (S$20b).
Each country is responsible for developing, constructing and maintaining the civil infrastructure and stations within their own countries.
How long will construction take?
It is scheduled to begin in 2018 and start operations in 2026.
How much will the tickets cost?
It has not been set.
In China, the average price of a high-speed train ticket for a 90-minute ride costs US$20 (S$27).
How will immigration and customs work?
Both governments will co-locate Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities at three locations: Singapore, Iskandar Puteri and Kuala Lumpur.
This would shorten waiting times at the CIQ as passengers would be able to clear customs, immigration and quarantine for both countries at their point of departure.
MOU ALLOWS FOR DETAILED NEGOTIATIONS
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Singapore-Malaysia High-Speed Rail project will allow for detailed negotiations on the main bilateral agreement, which is expected to be signed by the end of this year.
At the MOU ceremony yesterday, PM Lee Hsien Loong was accompanied by Transport Minister and Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure Khaw Boon Wan and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.
You can get both destinations for the price of one... With the HSR, people will think of Singapore- KL the same way as they think of London-Paris, Seoul-Busan, Taipei-Kaohsiung, Shanghai- Nanjing, or Tokyo-Osaka.
— Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on one of the High Speed Rail
The project will not only spur economic activities in the Klang Valley and Singapore, but will create multiplier effects along the rail alignment. It will create a very exciting future.
— Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
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