A LOCAL firm has expressed an interest to build a monorail system in Johor for about RM3.3 billion.
Sources familiar with the deal told Business Times that the company, controlled by a local businessman, had presented the plan to the state executive council last year.
The project is said to be a private finance initiative and funding will be sourced from China.
“Should the state government approve the proposed monorail project, the company will form a consortium with a Chinese partner to execute the project,” said a source.
The plan is to build a monorail system with two metro lines looping through Johor Baru city centre’s bustling commercial core.
The first line would be less than 20km, covering Johor Baru city centre-Ulu Tiram-Skudai, while the second line would be from Larkin to Pasir Gudang, spanning more than 35km.
“The alignment will run mostly on road reserves and be fully elevated so that land acquisition is minimal. At least 80 per cent of the stations will be attached to complexes.
“The projected cost includes acquiring two- and four-car train sets,” said the source.
Another source said the company planned to use magnetic levitation technology, or Maglev, trains from China for the monorail system.
If successful, the rail project would be the second in Malaysia proposing the use of Maglev.
Recently, a company proposed to build a mass rapid transit (MRT) system in the city centre using Maglev trains.
According to a Business Times report, the company was given the exclusive right by the Johor Economic Planning Unit to embark on a feasibility study.
It plans to finish building the Maglev MRT line in 2019.
“Maglev is efficient as there would not be any noise, friction or smoke from the coaches. The technology is economically viable,” said the source.
The maximum speed for the metro line was 150kph but the expected commercial speed would be about 50kph, he added.
Malaysia’s first monorail project, the KL Monorail, has two-car train sets travelling at a top speed of 80kph.
The KL Monorail is owned and operated by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and built at a cost of RM1.18 billion.