Well this certainly is a confusing turn of events. Even after the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore pretty much publicly confirmed the plans for a high speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore earlier last month, a recent statement issued by Malaysia's Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) indicated that they would prefer that the line cuts off at Johor Bahru instead of Jurong East, as initially promised.
Speaking to the Malaysian media, SPAD mentioned that they preferred to terminate the High Speed Rail at the existing CIQ (customs, immigration and quarantine complex in Johor Bahru.
Taken aback by the sudden non-cooperation by their Malaysian counterparts, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) expressed their genuine surprise over the turn of events, especially since they've initiated plans to take over the 67-hectare Jurong Country Club next year build the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail terminus. "Furthermore, our understanding is that Malaysia views the commercial premise of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project, and with which we agree, as being based on a direct connection between the two city centres. Terminating the HSR in Johor Bahru will not achieve this objective," MOT tersely noted in their press statement.
Though logistical and bureaucratic stumbling blocks are all par for the course when it comes to ambitious inter-country projects, the incident goes to show that the promised high speed rail might not even begin construction anytime soon, or at least until the two countries put all issues aside and start being more transparent with each other.
Photo: Peter Broster via Flickr
brightcove.createExperiences();
Well this certainly is a confusing turn of events. Even after the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore pretty much publicly confirmed the plans for a high speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore earlier last month, a recent statement issued by Malaysia's Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) indicated that they would prefer that the line cuts off at Johor Bahru instead of Jurong East, as initially promised.
Speaking to the Malaysian media, SPAD mentioned that they preferred to terminate the High Speed Rail at the existing CIQ (customs, immigration and quarantine complex in Johor Bahru.
Taken aback by the sudden non-cooperation by their Malaysian counterparts, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) expressed their genuine surprise over the turn of events, especially since they've initiated plans to take over the 67-hectare Jurong Country Club next year build the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail terminus. "Furthermore, our understanding is that Malaysia views the commercial premise of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project, and with which we agree, as being based on a direct connection between the two city centres. Terminating the HSR in Johor Bahru will not achieve this objective," MOT tersely noted in their press statement.
Though logistical and bureaucratic stumbling blocks are all par for the course when it comes to ambitious inter-country projects, the incident goes to show that the promised high speed rail might not even begin construction anytime soon, or at least until the two countries put all issues aside and start being more transparent with each other.
Photo: Peter Broster via Flickr
brightcove.createExperiences();