Railway electrification in Malaysia
Rapid transit and monorail systems in Malaysia are relatively new (the first of which is the Ampang Line on 16 December 1996); they are designed and built fully electrified and grade separated from the start.
The double-tracking and electrification of this 179 km (111 mi) stretch of the main West Coast Line has enabled Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd to run trains at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.
This project, which had been beset by problems and delays, was completed in early 2008 and electric train services along the stretch commenced in 2010, cutting the journey time between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh to 2.5 hours.
Although there were threats of litigation, the matter was submitted for arbitration and was finally settled in May 2006 with the government paying DRB-Hicom a sum of RM425 million.
The company added that it was still in negotiations with the government over issues pertaining to liquidated ascertained damages and release of the performance bond.
[8] Mitsui had also submitted a claim for compensation for being unable to carry out the electrification part of the project because of the delays to civil works with the government settling on an undisclosed sum in December 2006.
Sentul is currently the terminus for KTM Komuter's Sentul-Port Klang Line and the extension will enable the commuter train service to be extended to Batu Caves.
Proposed during the 1990s, the project was initially given to DRB-Hicom Berhad and a letter of intent was issued by the Transport Ministry to the company on 13 April 2001.
A 1.8 km (1.1 mi) tunnel and 9 bridges will be built in the process[15] On 23 May 2008, a joint venture between IJM and Norwest Corporation won a RM490.12 million contract from Ircon International to construct, commission and maintain infrastructure works for the electrified double-track project.
[17][18] On 26 January 2010, Chief Minister of the state of Malacca, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the work on the dual-track railway was 32.81% completed and it was expected to be operational by August 2012.
Once completed, the travel time between Malacca and Negeri Sembilan will be shortened and new six-coach trains capable of carrying 350 passengers at 140 km/h (87 mph) will be used.
[21] On 17 December 2003, not long after taking over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad, new Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that the Malaysian government had decided to postpone the project.
[23] On 21 April 2007, Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy confirmed Ircon's participation in the "revived double-tracking project" and that the company will undertake the Seremban-Gemas portion of the Seremban-Johor Bahru.
[24] On 6 June 2007, Gamuda Berhad announced to Bursa Malaysia that it had received a letter from the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department that the Malaysian government had agreed to MMC-Gamuda's proposal to implement the "Northern" section of the project on a private financing initiative basis.
[25] Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said work on the Northern section will begin by the end of 2007 and is expected to be completed by Jan 2013.
[26] On 14 December 2007, Gamuda announced that it together with MMC had received a letter of acceptance dated 13 December 2007 wherein the Malaysian Government accepted the proposal by the MMC-Gamuda joint venture to carry out the Electrified Double Tracking Project from Ipoh to Padang Besar on a design and build basis for a lump sum price of RM12.485 billion.
It is expected that the Ipoh-Butterworth section will give a higher priority as it is a continuation from the Rawang stretch and will eventually shorten the travel time between Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth to 3.5 hours.
In May 2009, Global Rail Sdn Bhd, a relatively small contractor and its Chinese partner, China Infraglobe submitted a proposal to the Government to build and upgrade tracks from Gemas to Johor Bahru at a cost of RM5 billion.
[40] On 29 January 2011, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said that The Gemas-Johor Bahru double-tracking and electrification project is expected to start that year.
He added that the Government hoped to appoint the contractor for the project this year and Malaysia is still in the midst of talking with China Railway Construction, but nothing is confirmed yet.
[48] The project entails the rehabilitation of 42 km (26 mi) of tracks between Rawang and Salak Selatan as well as Sentul and Simpang Batu.
There are no plans to electrify or double track the section of the West Coast line linking Johor Bahru to Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore.
A Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System is being built, and is expected to replace the last remaining section of the KTM rail link to Singapore.
