Northstar

The Indispensable Travel Industry Read Feature Highlight Scores and flaws in travel trade event marketing Vol. 4 Issue 09 | September 2013 | www.travelweeklyweb.com | Published by Travel & Meetings Group, Contineo Media Pte Ltd People Lynette Pang assumes new post at STB Page 9 Business Johor or Batu Pahat Seremban Muar Melaka Qantas halves losses Connecting cities Seven years from now, two key cities will be connected via a rail network system that passes through five other central points in Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar, Melaka and Seremban, offering abundant growth opportunities, boosting possible economic relations and tourism potentials. The proposed High Speed Rail (HSR) link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur is gathering momentum with both governments finalising the details by the end of the month. The plan was announced by both governments of Singapore and Malaysia earlier this year and is slated to be up and running by 2020. According to the chief executive officer of Malaysia's Land Public Transport Commission, Mohd Nur Ismail, the country will begin the tender process for the proposed HSR link between the capital city and Singapore, in the second half of 2014. Japan has also offered to share the technology behind its highly effective HSR, like the 10-cabin Hayabusa Shinkansen, which runs 674 kilometres from Tokyo to Shin Aomori, in less than three hours. The proposed HSR will span 330 kilometres and shorten travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes. Is the HSR a feasible project for both cities, socially, politically and economically? What are the challenges that await this building of a massive rail network that will bring two cities closer? The hurdle in Page 14 this bridge lies in three aspects, according to Colin Stewart, director, global rail leader, at international engineering consultancy Arup. "I see three challenges, the challenge of perception and getting people to change their mode to HSR, the engineering challenges, and the political challenges. The first two have been encountered in many countries, and are well understood. The third is more unique. There are very few HSR systems which run across borders. For example most in Europe which cross from one country to the other do so within the European Union, which operates free movement between countries. The exception is the route in the UK, where normal border controls operate so passengers have to pass through immigration and customs. The way this is dealt with for Kuala Lumpur-Singapore will be crucial in my view, because users will expect a fast service for their total journey from their origin to destination, not just a fast train ride," said Stewart. While the project will certainly help to expedite inter-cities commute, it may face teething problems at its initial runs. More than ever, the project has not only brought two countries together, to benefit the current pool of travellers and provide a platform for business opportunities, but also to create connections that will take us through to the next generations. Flip to page eight for more on our interview with Colin Stewart.

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