The Gemas-Johor Bahru Railway Electrified Double-Tracking Project: Steady Progress towards Completion
Hutchinson, Francis E.; Zhang, Kevin | July 2020
Abstract
Malaysia is well-known for its large-scale infrastructure projects. However, while highways, bridges, and interchanges have been a staple for decades, thinking among policymakers has evolved in recent years. Following trends across the globe, physical and urban planning has gravitated away from car-based transport towards rail links between and around major urban centres. In addition to being more environmentally-friendly, rail connections can allow faster commutes for residents between large urban agglomerations as well as ambitious transit-oriented developments in new stations along the way.
The Klang Valley did not have a rapid transit system until the mid-1990s, when the Ampang Light Rail Transit (LRT) and KTM Komuter service began operation. Since about 2000, the Malaysian government has invested heavily to improve rail transport in the Klang Valley, leading to the launching of the Kajang MRT in 2016. There are now a number of inter-city rail links in the works. Notable examples include: the East Coast Railway Line (ECRL), running from Port Klang in the west across the Peninsula to Kuantan in the east and then up to the border with Thailand; and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) between the two capitals and seven urban centres in between.
However, in past months, the size, complexity, and cost of these initiatives have given the various administrations in power at the federal level reason to pause. In contrast to these large-ticket items, which are expected to cost RM 42 billion and RM 60 billion respectively, progress on the lower profile Gemas-Johor Electrified Double-Tracking Project (EDTP) has been consistent despite changes in the country’s leadership.
Citation
Hutchinson, Francis E.; Zhang, Kevin. 2020. The Gemas-Johor Bahru Railway Electrified Double-Tracking Project: Steady Progress towards Completion. © ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/12164.ISSN
2335-6677
Keywords
Bus Transportation Costs
Demand For Transport
Means Of Transport
National Transport
Passenger Transport
Road & Highway Transport
Railways
Railway stations
Road Transportation Systems
Sea Transport
Transport Costs
Transport Efficiency
Transport Infrastructure
Transport Planning
Transport Policy
Transport Services
Transport Systems
Transport Tax
Transportation
Tolls
Ports
Seaports
Development projects
Physical infrastructure
Soft infrastructure
Infrastructure finance
Infrastructure bonds
Transport infrastructure
Roads
Highways
Railways
Ports
Airports
Pipelines
Water supply
Power production
Power transmission
Power distribution
Telecommunications
Infrastructure connectivity
Cross border connectivity
Corridor
Mass Transit
Modes of transport
Airports
Ports
Railways
Railway stations
Shipping
Taxis
Vehicle
Automobile industry
Road traffic
Inland transport
International transport
Public transport
Urban transport
Transport projects
Transport workers
Transport statistics
Transport networks
Urban traffic
Road Tolling
Infrastructure
Railroads
Communication and traffic
Navigation
Transport planes
Air transportation industry
Air transportation system
Intra-airport transportation
Inland water transportation
Intercoastal shipping
Marine transportation
Local transit
Highway transportation
Motor transportation
Student transportation
Choice of transportation
Public transportation
Transportation industry
Mass transit
Municipal transit
Intercity rail
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