BUILD EXPERTISE IN RAIL TECHNOLOGY
RAIL projects — including the KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR), the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and the MRT3 — are the subject of intense debate.
Some called for the projects to proceed, while others have suggested they be cancelled.
The government has, however, said that only projects that brought benefit to the nation would be considered.
Cost has been cited as one obstacle, considering the fact that the nation’s debt is in risky territory.
Meanwhile, global investments in rail have witnessed a sizable increase in recent years.
Many countries see rail as the best solution to ease their traffic woes. Many also recognise business opportunities that rail offers.
We should strategise to gain from rail investments, especially on the growing demand for rail projects worldwide.
Germany has invested in its rail network. Germans not only benefit from improved productivity and better mobility but also from exporting rail technologies.
More importantly, Germany does not just build railways but has also mastered the technology that goes into building railways.
There are many reasons why rail travel is becoming popular around the world. The two main factors are climate change and depleting energy resources.
For many countries like Germany, which is a net importer of energy, the bigger concern is how to cope with depleting global reserves of energy.
And rail has proven to be the most energy-efficient mass carrier, not only for people but also for goods.
While our country has oil reserves, the prediction is that in the not-too-distant future, our energy import will increase.
This means we have to be more energy efficient.
The decision to postpone the HSR project is wise. As argued by many, travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore is efficient with current transport options.
What is slowing down the journey is the congestion at the Johor-Singapore Causeway.
If the immigration-clearing system can be faster, the commute between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore will be quicker.
ECRL, on the other hand, has long-term benefits for people along the routes. It cuts the journey to the East Coast states by bypassing Gemas.
If the budget is a big constraint, then the deal has to be renegotiated.
However, if we want to reap business benefits from rail, we should do more than just build. We should invest in building expertise in rail technology.
All we need is to be committed to a long-term strategy. For a start, we need to establish a centre for rail technology development.
The end game is to build our own expertise as well as competitive rail technology we can export.