Malaysia rail project shows China’s sector upgrading
The recently signed light rail trains project in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is a sign that Chinese companies in the transportation sector are increasingly focusing on quality rather than quantity when it comes to exports, industry insiders said.
According to the agreement signed earlier this month, a consortium led by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive — a subsidiary of Chinese rail transit equipment manufacturer China Railway Rolling Stock Corp — will provide 42 driverless trains for the planned Kuala Lumpur Light Rail Transit Line 3. Of these, 40 will be built locally by CRRC Zhuzhou’s Malaysia plant in Batu Gajah in the state of Perak, and many of the core technologies are from China.
The other two members of the consortium are Siemens China and Malaysian contractor Tegap Dinamik Sdn Bhd. The project is worth about $360 million, according to local Malaysian media.
It is the first driverless light rail train project abroad to be led by a Chinese company.
“China used to export lower-end products to foreign countries, but that strategy is in the past,” said Li Jin, chief researcher at the China Enterprise Research Institute.
Li said that in the future, China will promote its operation models, management capacities and related services overseas by exporting domestically developed high-tech products, which will further lead to the development of an entire industry chain.
He added that although the government encourages companies to expand overseas, there is a shortage of international experience in the nation’s transportation business, and technical levels and talent development also need to be improved.
In late December, the South Island Line in Hong Kong started operation, becoming the nation’s first driverless subway line, using a fleet of 10 three-carriage trains manufactured by CRRC.
The trains have reached GoA4 standard, the highest in the Grades of Automation for driverless trains created by the International Association of Public Transport, indicating that the trains can have unattended operation where starting or stopping, operation of doors and emergency procedures are fully automated without any ontrain staff.
The new Kuala Lumpur light rail line will also use GoA4 trains. Each train will have six carriages and is designed to run at 80 kilometers per hour with a maximum capacity of 1,271 passengers. The 37-km line is designed to have 26 stations and construction is due to complete in 2020, when it will serve about 74,000 passengers a day.
CRRC will use new materials to reduce the trains’ weight and make them more environmentally friendly, said CRRC Zhuzhou Chairman Zhou Qing. The company will also use many of its patented technologies to improve safety.
“Driverless trains, featuring high efficiency, represent today’s needs for rail transit,” Zhou told People’s Daily. “Winning the contract will enrich our product portfolio and enhance our capability of international development.”
Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysia’s minister of transport, said CRRC Zhuzhou is helping the country in localized electric multiple unit train manufacturing, and the company’s Malaysia plant has boosted the country’s economic growth by providing many jobs.