Project Construction
Resume:
>
>
>
>
>
Ipoh-Padang Besar double-tracking project to resume
Countdown to 2020 Project/Construction news and updates
Page 2 of 3 2 >
February 5th, 2008, 05:12 AM
#21
Infrastructure
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Petaling Jaya
Posts: 2,914
Likes Received : 42
Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...806&sec=nation
Najib: Project a boost for northern states
By SIM LEOI LEOI
PUTRAJAYA: The implementation of the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar double-tracking project is expected to have spillover effects on the economies of the northern states.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said this could even translate into a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of as high as 12% for certain states.
The GDP growth for Perak is estimated to increase from 5.7%, the targeted figure under the Ninth Malaysia Plan without taking into account the double-tracking project, to 8.1%.
Penang will grow from 6.1% to 6.8% while Kedah s GDP will climb from 5.9% to 8.7%. Perlis will boom from 5.3% to 12%.
On the whole, Malaysia s overall GDP growth is expected to rise from 6% to 6.4% thanks to the project, he said at a ceremony to hand over letters of award worth some RM400mil to 25 bumiputra contractors and 10 engineering consultants at his office here yesterday.
The project continues from the double-tracking rail laid down from Rawang to Ipoh, which was completed in Dec 31 last year, and will be carried out by the consortium MMC-Gamuda.
Najib said a study by both the Halcrow consultant in Britain and the Asian Development Bank showed that the project could also see an improvement in the cost of doing business in Malaysia, through more efficient cargo shipment and higher economic rate of returns.
Additionally, he said, rail was more efficient in terms of fuel usage, transport time and reduction of environmental pollution.
Cargo shipment by rail is six times more efficient while for passenger transport, it is 20 times more efficient. The project will give the Government a chance to completely restructure the country s whole transport system into a more efficient and effective network, and ensure our cost of doing business remains competitive.
This project will raise our country s socio-economic status by an economic rate of return of 14.7% in comparison with the normal figure of between 10% and 12% for transport projects, he said.
Besides being the critical link to turn the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) into a logistic hub, Najib said the project would also offer some 150,000 jobs in various sectors.
Almost RM3.7bil in contracts will be offered to capable bumiputra contractors and suppliers. The consortium has identified 335 work packages to be given out beginning this month. It has also identified 180 contractors from Classes A, B, C and D to take part in the limited tender for this project, he said.
Najib also reminded contractors to finish their work on time saying that delay and failure are not an option.
We don t want the failure of some contractors to be the cause of the delay in the project, which is to be finished in five years, he said.
TWK90
Sponsored Links
March 17th, 2008, 05:32 PM
#22
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 71,004
Likes Received : 8
A hiccup in rail deal
by Sharmila Ganapathy, 17 Mar 2008 11:20 AM
THEEDGEDAILY
KUALA LUMPUR: A late bid by French power generation and rail transport giant Alstom for the installation of the electrification and signalling systems of the multi-billion ringgit railway double-tracking project between Ipoh and Padang Besar has potentially lowered the overall cost by a significant amount.
However, the bid, which was backed by a senior minister in the previous Cabinet, has caused uncertainty for the main contractors, a joint venture between MMC Corp Bhd and Gamuda Bhd, and could further complicate matters in the huge construction job.
The Edge has learnt that the Alstom bid has lowered the bidding price of the coveted signalling system subcontract by as much as RM900 million or 30% compared to the joint bid by the initial frontrunners Balfour Beatty Plc and Siemens AG.
While the depressed bid price is good for the Gamuda-MMC consortium and the double-tracking project as a whole, it is not healthy as it is learnt that Alstom was knocked out in the pre-qualification process, leaving only Balfour Beatty and Siemens to fight for the job.
Because the Alstom bid was backed by the minister and it came after the pre-qualification process, the contractors could be forced to re-open that part of the tender. The main problem is competition risk as the contractors cannot afford delays. Any cost due to delays would have to be borne by the contractors themselves, said a source.
Gamuda and MMC were awarded the 392-km Ipoh to Padang Besar double-tracking project on a design-and-build basis for a lump sum price of RM12.49 billion.
Sources said Alstom had initially put in a bid but did not get past the pre-qualification process. Only Siemens and Balfour Beatty were short listed and the two decided to make a joint proposal for the job instead of competing with each other. Subsequently, Alstom came back into the picture via the assistance of a prominent local businessman and a senior Cabinet minister.
It is learnt that the matter was brought up in the Cabinet and subsequently the main contractors were told to re-consider the bid. Subsequently, the price of the electrification and systems job, which was initially estimated at RM2.8 billion, came down. The portion of the job is the largest in the entire project.
The railway job is being handled by Alstom s unit based in Singapore while the Malaysian branch is more concentrated on the power sector.
Malaysian-based Alstom Power Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd country president Saji Raghavan confirmed that the company had put in its bid for the northern double-tracking project in August.
We have bid for one of the largest projects, the northern double-tracking and we are pushing the subject like any other bidder and hopefully we ll know the results sooner than later, he said, declining to elaborate.
The meddling of the senior minister in the project amidst the current political scenario does not do much to lessen complications for the main contractors. State governments in Perak, Selangor, Penang and Kedah where the entire double-track railway runs through, have fallen into the hands of the opposition, causing speculation that the project may face implementation risk and delays.
In January, The Edge Weekly wrote that the UK-based Balfour Beatty, Germany-based Siemens, Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd (also from the UK), Italy s Ansaldo STS SpA and Alstom were eyeing the signalling system portion of the project.
Ironically, while Alstom and Balfour are hotly competing for the northern double-tracking project here, they have been known to work together globally. Last October, the two companies pooled resources to form a 50-50 joint-venture company called Signalling Solutions Ltd, drawing on the signalling systems experience of both companies to cater to the railway signalling markets in the UK and Ireland.
nazrey
March 22nd, 2008, 12:31 PM
#23
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 71,004
Likes Received : 8
MMC-Gamuda JV: Lead contractor for not identified yet
By Francis Fernandez Published: 2008/03/22
BusinessTimes
THE MMC Corp-Gamuda joint venture (JV), which is building a double-track rail line from Ipoh to Padang Besar, has not identified the lead contractor for the electrification and signalling systems contract, an official said.
"The tender submissions for the electrification package is still being reviewed, and as such no decision to appoint or shortlist has been made" an official from the JV, who declined to be named said.
The companies that submitted bids were Britain's Balfour Beatty plc and Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd, Germany's Siemens AG, Italy's Ansaldo STS SpA and French conglomerate Alstom SA
Business Times was told some of the bidders were asked to clarify their submissions and that this could have been misconstrued as them being shortlisted.
Work on electrification and signalling systems can only take place when civil works are done. The cost of the work itself is subjective, depending on several factors such as government-to-government loan arrangements.
Mitsui Corp, Japan's largest trading company, had in 2001 secured an electrification and signalling systems contract valued at RM1.6 billion for 180km of rail lines linking Rawang to Ipoh, as the deal took into account credit provided by Japanese government-linked banks.
It is believed the MMC-Gamuda JV, budgeted as much RM3 billion for the electrification and signalling systems package.
The budget includes possible time-cost delays for the Ipoh to Padang Besar rail lines that run on a 330km track.
On Monday, a media report suggested a late bid by France's Alstom could potentially lower the cost of the package by RM900 million.
nazrey
March 22nd, 2008, 12:33 PM
#24
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 71,004
Likes Received : 8
Resolve rail jobs row, developers and chamber told
By Marina Emmanuel Published: 2008/01/26
BusnessTimes
THE government says it will not intervene in the dispute between developers of the RM12.5 billion Ipoh-Padang Besar double-tracking rail project and the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM).
Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said in Penang yesterday that the parties must iron out the differences themselves.
Gamuda Holdings Bhd and its partner, MMC Corp Bhd, have come under fire from the DPMM which said the companies had decided to distribute contracts under the rail project to Bumiputera contractors themselves instead of asking the chamber to do so.
DPMM head Syed Ali Mohamed Alattas said the body was upset with the consortium's decision.
Last month, the Gamuda-MMC consortium said that it would award contracts, worth some RM3.8 billion, to genuine Bumiputera companies on its own.
"As this is a private-sector contract, the government's role is only to facilitate, and as far as we know, the parties concerned are working together and have been keeping us informed," Nor Mohamed said after launching SMK Perempuan St George's oath of excelllence ceremony.
"We believe it is good for the country that Gamuda and MMC work as far as possible with the chamber, but of course, they (the consortium) will have their own contractors.
"Only if they have major problems will we step in," he added.
On the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project, Nor Mohamed said that the government hopes to call for an open tender by the first half of the year.
"As for the monorail project for Penang, the tender has already closed and we should be able to hit the ground soon."
nazrey
April 2nd, 2008, 03:15 PM
#25
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 71,004
Likes Received : 8
Double track project to be completed in 2013
Wednesday April 2, 2008
By ZULKIFLY MOHAMAD
TheStar
BUTTERWORTH: It will only take three hours to travel from Penang to Kuala Lumpur by train when the electrified double track project (EDTP) is completed.
Once operational, commuters can have breakfast in Penang, lunch in KL and return to the island for dinner, all within the same day. Currently, the train journey between both destinations takes about nine hours.
The RM12.4bil EDTP stretch from Ipoh to Padang Besar, undertaken by MMC-Gamuda, is now 5% completed and expected to be ready on Jan 7, 2013. It will link up to the Rawang line.
Once completed, modern trains with heavier loads can run on the flatter, straighter alignment at a speed of up to 160kph, said MMC-Gamuda JV Project director Datuk Ir Azmi Mat Nor.
He added that RM10bil had been invested in double-tracking the Klang Valley and from Rawang to Ipoh.
The EDTP can be the backbone for future commuter services in the northern area, similar to the Klang Valley commuter services, he added.
It will only take about 90 minutes to travel from Penang to Ipoh by train when the project is completed, compared to about four hours now, he told newsmen Wednesday during a site inspection.
Azmi said the alignment for the 329km Ipoh -Padang Besar double track project cut across the four northern states of Penang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis.
We are working closely with the four state governments and they are very helpful as the project will benefit the people in the long run, he said.
We do not foresee much problems for the next five years as 70% of land needed for the project is owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB).
He said rail transport in the country currently had a market share of just 3%, compared to road transport which commanded 89% share.
Over reliance on road transport is unsustainable, especially during congestion on expressways and festive seasons, he added.
Azmi said up to RM3bil worth of construction packages had been awarded to contractors, of which RM1.6bil had been given to deserving bumiputra contractors. About 700 subcontractors were involved in the project.
The awards cover various construction work such as track work, drainage culverts, station building, bridge works and viaducts as well as utilities, he added.
He said a further RM2bil worth of projects would be awarded in stages.
Azmi said the EDTP was an extensive infrastructure project that would transform the existing singletrack line from Johor Baru to Padang Besar to electrified double tracks, covering a total distance of 968km.
nazrey
April 3rd, 2008, 05:01 AM
#26
PROUD 2 B MALAYSIAN
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: KL
Posts: 31,747
Likes Received : 23
MMC-Gamuda rail project to create 150,000 jobs
By Marina Emmanuel
Published: 2008/04/03
The RM12.5 billion double-tracking rail project will involve the hiring of 5,000 professionals, 12,000 sub-professionals, and over 100,000 skilled and unskilled workers
ABOUT 150,000 jobs will be created under the RM12.5 billion electrified double-tracking railway project over the next five years.
The main contractor, an MMC Corp Bhd and Gamuda Bhd joint venture, expects the project, which involves laying parallel railway lines over 329km from Ipoh to Padang Besar, to be completed on time in 2013.
About five per cent of the project has been done.
"In addition to hiring 5,000 professionals and 12,000 sub-professional staff, the project will also see over 100,000 skilled and unskilled workers engaged," MMC-Gamuda JV director Datuk Azmi Mat Nor told a media briefing in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, yesterday.
He said since the company took possession of the sites across Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis on January 8, work has been on schedule.
MMC-Gamuda will brief the state governments and local authorities on the progress of the project in their respective states and its benefits.
The infrastructure works in the four northern states include over 196km of railway tracks, stations, depots, halts, yards and bridges, while the system works comprise the relocation of existing services, electrification systems, signalling and communication systems.
MMC-Gamuda has given out RM3 billion worth of construction packages.
"Of the total, up to RM1.6 billion has been awarded to Bumiputera contractors that fulfilled three main criteria of being genuine and having hands-on management experience, capable contractors that have positive track records for both financial and technical, and able to offer competitive pricing via a tender system," Azmi added.
rizalhakim
April 3rd, 2008, 08:18 AM
#27
PROUD 2 B MALAYSIAN
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: KL
Posts: 31,747
Likes Received : 23
Rail project to cut KL- Penang journey to just three hours
By ZULKIFLY MOHAMAD
BUTTERWORTH: It will only take three hours to travel from Penang to Kuala Lumpur by train when the electrified double-track project (EDTP) is completed.
Once operational, commuters can have breakfast in Penang, lunch in KL and return to the island for dinner, all in the same day. Currently, the train journey between the destinations takes about nine hours.
The RM12.4bil stretch from Ipoh to Padang Besar, undertaken by MMC-Gamuda, is now 5% completed and expected to be ready on Jan 7, 2013. It will link up to the Rawang line.
All systems go: Piling works being carried out for the electrified double-track rail project at Simpang Ampat in Nibong Tebal yesterday.
“Once completed, modern trains with heavier loadings can run on the flatter, straighter alignment at a speed of up to 160kph,” said MMC-Gamuda JV Project director Datuk Azmi Mat Nor.
He said RM10bil had been invested in double tracking the Klang Valley and from Rawang to Ipoh.
“The EDTP can be the backbone for future commuter services in the northern area, similar to the Klang Valley commuter services,” he added.
“It will only take about 90 minutes to travel from Penang to Ipoh by train when the project is completed, compared to about four hours now,” he told newsmen during a site inspection yesterday.
It will only take 90 minutes to travel from Penang to Ipoh DATUK AZMI MAT NOR
Azmi said the alignment for the 329km Ipoh-Padang Besar double-track project cuts across the four northern states of Penang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis.
“We are working closely with the four state governments and they are very helpful,” he said.
“We do not foresee much problem for the next five years as 70% of land needed for the project is owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB).”
Azmi said rail transport in the country currently had a market share of just 3%, compared to road transport which commanded 89% share.
“Over-reliance on road transport is unsustainable, especially during congestion on expressways and festive seasons,” he added.
Azmi said that up to RM3bil worth of construction packages had been awarded to contractors, of which RM1.6bil had been given to deserving bumiputra contractors. About 700 sub-contractors were involved in the project.
He said a further RM2bil worth of projects would be awarded in stages.
Azmi said the EDTP was an extensive infrastructure project which would transform the existing single-track line from Johor Baru to Padang Besar to electrified double tracks, covering a distance of 968km.
rizalhakim
April 3rd, 2008, 12:38 PM
#28
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,391
Likes Received : 2
Something is not right with this project!They cant even finish the rawang-ipoh segment
yet all the way to padang besar
dengilo
April 3rd, 2008, 12:51 PM
#29
Infrastructure
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Petaling Jaya
Posts: 2,914
Likes Received : 42
Rawang-Ipoh, already finished...the only thing needed is the new EMUs for the KL-Ipoh rapid intercity service...
TWK90
Contact this candidate