Gemas-JB rail job winner to emerge in March

Three Chinese companies were earlier shortlisted for the RM8 billion project known as the Gemas-Johor Baru Electrified Double Tracking Project (EDTP).


They are China Railway Engineering Co (CREC), China Railway Construction Co (CRCC) and China Communication Construction Co (CCCC). The three are subsidiaries of China’s Ministry of Railway.


The Ministry of Transport said recently the rail link was still in the design process and its minister, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said he was not aware of any contract being awarded yet despite unconfirmed news saying the government has decided winner of the tender.


The Gemas-Johor Baru project includes the building of 197km of parallel railway tracks, stations, depots, halts, yards and bridges and covers systems such as electrification, signalling and communications.

Read more: Gemas-JB rail job winner to emerge in March http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120103232153/Article/index_html#ixzz1iRUTj9uZ

China setuju tingkat dagangan

China setuju tingkat dagangan
Oleh ZULKIFLI JALIL, HELMI MOHD. FOAD dan THOMAS CHONGpengarang@utusan.com.my

PUTRAJAYA 11 Nov. – Malaysia dan China hari ini bersetuju untuk meningkatkan perdagangan dan pelaburan dua hala terutama dalam bidang kelapa sawit dan kayu-kayan.

Perkara itu dinyatakan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini, hasil rundingan bersama dengan Hu Jintao di Bangunan Perdana Putra di sini sempena lawatan rasmi dua hari Presiden China itu ke Malaysia. Pada sidang akhbar bersama dengan Jintao, Najib berkata, China yang merupakan rakan dagangan terbesar Malaysia berharap perdagangan dua hala akan berkembang pada masa depan.

‘‘Beliau menyatakan hasrat China untuk meningkatkan permintaan melibatkan minyak sawit dan kayu-kayan.

‘‘Kedua-dua pihak juga bersetuju projek Jambatan Kedua Pulau Pinang akan dilaksanakan dengan lancarnya dan kemungkinan lain melibatkan komitmen Malaysia untuk memberi projek pembinaan kepada syarikat China dalam membangunkan Empangan Mengkuang (di Seberang Perai) serta kerjasama dalam projek kilang kertas dan kilang melebur aluminium di Sarawak.

‘‘Malaysia juga bersetuju pada prinsipnya untuk memberi projek landasan berkembar dari Gemas ke Johor Bahru kepada (syarikat) China,” kata beliau.


Sebanyak lima memorandum persefahaman (MoU) berkaitan perbankan, pengajian tinggi dan pembetungan ditandatangani antara beberapa kementerian dengan syarikat China sempena lawatan Jintao itu.
Ketika ini pelaburan China di Malaysia bernilai AS$134 juta sementara pelaburan Malaysia di republik berkenaan berjumlah AS$1.36 bilion.
Sebanyak 67 peratus eksport Malaysia ke China terdiri daripada barangan elektrik dan elektronik serta komoditi terutama minyak sawit.
Pada masa sama, 65 peratus import Malaysia dari China juga melibatkan barangan elektrik dan elektronik, mesin dan alat ganti.
Sambil menyifatkan pertemuan dengan Jintao berlangsung dalam suasana amat baik, Perdana Menteri berkata, mereka berkongsi pandangan betapa hubungan Kuala Lumpur-Beijing telah memasuki fasa lebih menarik.
‘‘Kita komited untuk melonjakkan hubungan ini ke tahap lebih tinggi,” kata beliau.

...

RM5b rail project on drawing board

By Sharen Kaur Published: 2009/05/12


Global Rail Sdn Bhd and its partner from China are working on a RM5 billion project to lay 250km of parallel railway lines in southern Peninsular Malaysia.

The proposal for the double-track lines, connecting Gemas and Johor Baru, will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Transport Ministry by early June, Global Rail managing director Fan Boon Heng told Business Times.

Its partner is China Infraglobe Consortium, a state agency under the Central Committee in Beijing.

The rail project will be a Private Finance Initiative, where the developers will arrange funding, and it will also include a plan by China Infraglobe to invest in mineral processing and metal production in Johor.

Global Rail is part of an international team of specialists undertaking a detailed development and investment study for China Infraglobe.

The Chinese company wants to set up an industrial complex in Johor to process the mineral and for downstream metal production with the required logistics infrastructure.

The proposed investment by China Infraglobe is related to the processing of minerals sourced in Peninsular Malaysia with electrified rapid rail freight, connecting the southern ports to the complex, Fan said.

"A proposal on the plan by China Infraglobe will also be submitted to the Chinese government early next month for approval," Fan told Business Times in an interview.

China Infraglobe is the implementation arm of the Byzantium China International Investment Consortium, both of which are extra-jurisdictional agencies under the Central Committee in Beijing.

"Our aim is to provide a solution to link up to Iskandar Malaysia, which is fast developing. There is a single track up to Johor currently but that needs to be upgraded. Furthermore, the government has indicated the continuation of the double tracks from Gemas to Johor," Fan said.

The Gemas-Johor Baru double-tracking project will benefit Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd as it will be able to extend its commuter services to Johor, instead of making its last stop in Seremban.

India's national railway firm, Ircon International Ltd, is already working on a RM3.45 billion contract to build 100km of electrified double-tracks from Seremban to Gemas.

Ircon's design-and-build contract is fully funded by the government and will be implemented in four years.


Blogger's Note: So it will be double investment by the China firm - one in the rail line, and another in the industrial complex. The PFI scheme, I believe will be like the original proposal by MMC-Gamuda for Ipoh-Padang Besar line. KTMB is ever willing to pay for the lease on the new double track (tic).

Tenders may be called

Tenders may be called
Published: 2008/06/16
BTimea

DRB-HICOM and IJM Corp may bid for the RM8 billion contract to lay rail tracks connecting Gemas to Johor Baru, says an industry source

THE government may call for tenders for the Gemas-Johor Baru railway project by the year-end, says a government source.A source from the Ministry of Transport said it was in the government's interest to complete the southern portion of the country's electrified double tracks."The government will call for tenders, but this is subject to the mid-term review."The single tracks are now running from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth. So the whole stretch of the double tracks must be completed to improve efficiency," he told Business Times.

An industry source said that DRB-HICOM Bhd and IJM Corp Bhd may bid for the RM8 billion contract to lay new rail tracks connecting Gemas in Negri Sembilan to Johor Baru.DRB-HICOM, a car and banking group that also has expertise in engineering, is expected to submit a detailed proposal comprising design, layout and cost structure to the government in the second half of the year."DRB-HICOM is keen to work on the double tracks. They may either work with a local or foreign party in securing the contract or bid for it on their own," the source said.The source said DRB-HICOM had previously made a presentation to the government for the project late last year.Key executive officials of DRB-HICOM were not available for comment at press time.The project involves building over 200km of parallel railway tracks, including stations, depots, halts, yards and bridges.Work will also cover systems such as electrification, signalling and communications.

Both DRB-HICOM and IJM are experienced in railway work.IJM is one of three sub-contractors for the RM3.45 billion Seremban-Gemas double-tracking railway project.IJM managing director Datuk Krishnan Tan Boon Seng, however, told Business Times through e-mail that IJM was not involved in any submission for the Gemas-Johor Baru stretch.DRB-HICOM, meanwhile, was a main contractor for the RM4.6 billion Rawang-Ipoh double-tracking project awarded in 2000.However, the project faced delays and the government eventually asked UEM Builders Bhd to complete it.The Rawang-Ipoh project was finally completed last year.Malaysia's other double-tracking project is the RM12.5 billion rail link between Ipoh and Padang Besar. This is being done by Gamuda Bhd and MMC Corp Bhd, and slated for completion in 2013.