View Full Version : MonorailExport:Trainspotting
(The Star 29/8/2003)
KUCHING: MTrans Holdings Sdn Bhd will take up a substantial stake in the proposed US$400mil (RM1.52bil) Phase One Jakarta Monorail project, said the company’s chief executive officer David Chew.
He said the equity was being negotiated with MTrans’ partner – PT Indonesia Transit Central (ITC) – the project’s concession company.
A memorandum of understanding for the proposed monorail system was signed here between MTrans, ITC and the city government of Jakarta yesterday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri witnessed the ceremony.
*MTrans Holdings Sdn Bhd is the company who build the KL Monorail and the upcoming Putrajaya Monorail.
Check out Malaysia's second monorail manufacturer MMC Metrail at www.metrail.com
We've already had Iranian and Pakistani companies write to ask who they can contact about licensing this Malaysian technology. Any idea who we can point them to?
jpatokal
04-03-04, 06:12 PM
The link is broken already, but the March 1st Jakarta Post reports that MTrans has been dropped from the monorail project despite bidding lower ($450m) than winner Hitachi ($600m).
I have to say I'm tempted to agree: the KL Monorail is much too small and dinky for a city the size of Jakarta, which has no public transport railways (except limited commuter trains) right now...
Khun Jpatokal...
Sad to say that MTrans had been dropped from the list. It is partly because they (MTrans) only interested on building only one line that will be more profitable than building two lines that Jakarta wanted. I think they should just follow the customers' requests next time... but maybe they'll go bankrupt after that :D! They also before this lost the contract for building Penang Monorail to Metrail! Hope they will not lose out for Dubai Monorail!
But for me personally, I still prefer Jakarta building a heavy rail like Singapore's instead of building a monorail because they are super-high density country not like KL! I don't think it will reduce the traffic in Jakarta that much by having a 3 or 4 car monorails running!:p
jpatokal
15-09-04, 10:21 PM
There are no Korean monorail companies, and politics prevents them from buying from those who have mastered the technology, namely the Japanese... why do you think the Korean high-speed system is TGV, not Shinkansen?
Business Times: 24th. Sept. 2004
MALAYSIA’S monorail system manufacturer, MTrans Holdings Sdn Bhd, expects to secure a mass transit project worth between US$500 million (US$1 = RM3.80) and US$600 million in a West Asian country next year, a source said.
The potentially successful bid comes close on the heels of the firm's appointment to construct a US$175 million monorail system in South Korea.
“Next year is possible ... if everything goes well (to secure the project),” the source told Business Times.
MTrans, the parent company of listed KL Infrastructure Group Bhd (KL Infra), is one of only three urban transit monorail manufacturers in the world. The other two are Hitachi Ltd of Japan and Bombardier Inc of Canada.
The group is involved in proposals for monorail systems worth US$5 billion in 12 countries.
For its maiden overseas venture in South Korea, KL Infra and another unit of MTrans — Monorail Malaysia Technology Sdn Bhd — is setting up a a joint venture with Seoul’s Gangnam district to develop a 6.7km monorail system on a privatisation basis.
MTrans chairman David Chew told Business Times that the company signed the project’s memorandum of understanding in June this year and is now going through its detailed work, including getting the relevant approvals.
The monorail will be based on the MTrans monorail in Kuala Lumpur after it was chosen as the most suitable technology following a five-year study conducted by the Gangnam District.
MTrans hopes to start work on the project in the second quarter of next year. It expects the monorail system to start operations sometime in 2006.
The monorail system will provide better mobility in Gangnam, which is the commercial and financial district of Seoul.
Monorail Malaysia Technology will be the designated turnkey supplier, while KL Infra will be the designated project manager and system integrator. The civil works will be awarded through open tender.
The Gangnam District will subsidise 40 per cent of the project cost and subscribe for an equity interest of up to 25 per cent in the proposed joint-
venture company. Samsung Life Insurance Co Ltd has also indicated its interest to subscribe for part of the equity.
KL Infra will raise the balance of the project cost through a combination of equity and external borrowings.
“We are eyeing similar projects in the Asian and West Asian regions. We’ll continue to propose for monorail system projects in countries which are in need of such infrastructure and they include Pakistan and China,” Chew said.
On the local front, ridership for KL Monorail has been on the increase, from 341,850 passengers in September last year to 1.18 million in August this year.
The RM1.18 billion KL Monorail is KL Infra’s flagship project; it holds a 40-year concession on the 8.6km system.
For its financial year ended April 30 2004, KL Infra posted an audited net loss of RM46.24 million on a RM15.08 million revenue, a shortfall of more than RM4 million compared to the forecast net loss of RM42 million as announced in the company’s prospectus dated April 21 2003.
The shortfall was mainly attributed to the lower ridership revenues collected from KL Monorail operations as the full operational hours from 6am to noon were only effective from June 15 this year onwards.
Apart from the monorail operations, KL Infra expects its foray into inter-city bus services to contribute substantially to its revenue for the financial year ending April 30 2005.
mrtfreak
24-09-04, 03:44 PM
i think it will be in dubai. Monorail Malaysia was bidding there.
Yuppz... from what I recalled, I think it's on the biggest man made island called The Palms or something... if captured from the satellite the islands resembles a palm tree...
jpatokal
25-09-04, 01:31 PM
FYI, here's an article about the Dubai LRT project, including map:
http://en.webvdr.com/info_DUBAI_0402.php
Planning seems fairly advanced but evidently they haven't chosen the supplier yet... and a monorail seems like an unusual choice because most of the route is underground!
That article refers to the Dubai (City Center) LRT but I think the one that Monorail Malaysia is bidding is for the man made islands 'The Palms'... that is 2 different projects... or mebbe they are bidding for both??
The Star: 27th. December 2004
KUALA Lumpur Infrastructure Group Bhd (KLIG) said it has signed a deal to increase its investment in a monorail project that will serve the Gangnam district of the South Korean capital of Seoul.
Under the deal, signed on Dec 20, KLIG and its partners the Gangnam district government, MTrans International Ltd (MIL) and Gangnam Monorail Co Ltd would become partners in the initial investment and management of Gangnam's monorail pre-construction and approval stages, KLIG said in a statement to Bursa Malaysia.
MTrans, KLIG and Gangnam Monorail Co are units of MTrans Holdings Bhd.
The district government, MIL and KLIG intended to increase the capital of Gangnam Monorail Co initially to 2.88 billion won to fund the preparation and submission of the project’s technical proposal, KLIG said
About 75% of this initial capital will be allocated for design and feasibility studies to be undertaken by MIL and KLIG.
The investment will be 24.8% made by the Gangnam district government with the majority to be made by KLIG and MIL. The exact ratio of spending to be undertaken by KLIG and MIL is not provided.
KLIG said it would make a further announcement on the project pending its approval by relevant South Korean authorities and the finalisation of the subscription of shares.
KLIG’s parent company MTrans Holdings announced in mid-September that it was setting up a joint-venture company in South Korea to build the Gangnam monorail system. – AFX-Asia
jpatokal
08-11-06, 04:25 PM
And MTrans' one semi-confirmed project gets shut down (http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200610/kt2006102920073412070.htm):
The Seoul Metropolitan Government scrapped a plan to build monorails, or trains moving on elevated rails, in the city’s southern districts, because of concerns over costs and strong resistance from residents. ...
The ward office of Kangnam-gu, southern Seoul, which announced in February that it would invest 200 billion won ($211 million) to build a monorail winding 6.7 kilometers through Taechi-dong, Chongdam-dong and Shinsa-dong, recently reported to the city government that is giving up the project.
“There has been criticism that the monorail would be a waste of taxpayers’ money, as it carries only a few people at a time on limited rides and runs on a route that overlaps with other public transport modes,” an official from the Kangnam-gu ward office said.
I've sort of noted that opinion is a bit mixed on KL's monorail ( which I have yet to try), so I thought the KL regulars might have some comment on this article:
Locally-made Monorail Project Helped In Saving Capital Outflow: MTrans
KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- MTrans Group, Malaysia's monorail system provider, said its response in taking up the Kuala Lumpur monorail project in the 1990s has not only helped the country save RM230 million in capital outflow, but also placed Malaysia in the league of monorail manufacturers.
In a statement here Tuesday, MTrans said news reports of its member KL Infrastructure Group Bhd (KLIG) being pressured by Bank Pembangunan Malaysia to have its subsidiary KL Monorail System Sdn Bhd (KLMS) settle RM4.24 million in interest payments was accurate to a point but a complete picture was needed on the whole KLMS experience.
It said since the successful implementation of the KL monorail system, MTrans has received inquiries from more than twelve countries around the world to help in the planning and construction of monorail system.
"In the eyes of people outside Malaysia, we are often recognised as a hero and in our country we have been portrayed as a villain," it said.
According to news reports, KLMS' failure to pay could pave the way for the concession to be transferred to another operator.
KLIG yesterday announced the appointment of receivers and managers for KLMS through a circular in Bursa Malaysia.
MTrans said it resumed the project after the original system supplier, Hitachi of Japan, would not budge from its contract price of RM760 million and the project became non-viable.
It said the government then specified the sum for the system at RM350 million which was RM410 million less than the Japanese system. A sum of RM180 million in compensation was paid to the Japanese contractor.
"To imply that the directors and shareholders of KLMS and MTrans Construction Sdn Bhd benefited a great deal from the project was not amusing and the truth could not be further.
"However, it is true that we have few regrets because we have successfully produced and contributed a made-in-Malaysia monorail system for KL within a short span of five years and that is surely no mean feat for a developing country," it said.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=262105
jpatokal
16-05-07, 05:49 PM
It said since the successful implementation of the KL monorail system, MTrans has received inquiries from more than twelve countries around the world to help in the planning and construction of monorail system.
...and despite this, it's managed to sell precisely zero (0), with Hitachi and Bombardier continuing to lock up the market.
I gather that, in no small part due to the initial funding problems, the KL Monorail has -- like most public transport systems -- been unprofitable from day one. Here's a very, very detailed article from The Edge (http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_91dcaa9 d-cb73c03a-164cbde0-70bbef5a) that does the math:
Over the last two years, however, the company has only managed to rake in sales worth RM15.1 million (financial year ended April 30, 2004) and RM32.6 million (FY2005). Not surprisingly, it has been in the red — last year, the company's net losses reached RM75.9 million.
This state of affairs draws "I told you so" responses equally from the professional fund manager and the man riding on public transport.
First off, the company's public offer of shares at 51 sen apiece in May 2003 was undersubscribed by nearly 40%. And the practical reality is that public transport is not a huge money-spinner, as shown by KLInfra's losses despite a four-year interest-free holiday, and the government's RM5 billion bailout of two other urban light rail operators, Putra and Star.
...and that was written half a year ago.
Scomi's future in monorail
It will be Scomi Engineering's key focus
By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU
SCOMI Engineering Bhd is expected to ride the hive of activity and investments ploughed into the oil and gas (O&G) sector, but it is the monorail business that is the big and lucrative wild card to its future performance. Revenue-wise, the machine shop operations are still the biggest money spinner for the group, but Scomi Engineering believes that might change with its monorail business.
............
Scomi's maiden entry into this business was via a five-year contract from KTM Bhd to refurbish 1,500 wagons. That was followed by its acquisition of MTrans Transportation Sdn Bhd, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary renamed Scomi Rail Bhd.
That acquisition had allowed Scomi Engineering to tap the monorail business, where it is now one of three players in the world, said Hilmy. The other two are Hitachi and Bombardier.
The acquisition also gave Scomi Engineering its own technology in the monorail business and the ability to supply electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems and rolling stock for the monorail.
“We are building Scomi Rail Bhd to have the full range of capabilities,'' he said.
The reason behind developing a full suite of services is for Scomi Engineering to effectively bid for projects.
“When we tender for projects in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and India, we must be able to offer everything. We cannot just say we can only fabricate the cars. It has to be a package,'' he said.
Scomi Engineering has a team of 30 in rolling stock and 25 in E&M building up the group capabilities in those two segments and it has paid off, creating the second generation of monorail, said Hilmy.
The new-generation monorail trains can fit 125 people in a car, making its people-moving capability comparable with light rail transit systems.
Cars are not only wider but now between six and eight cars can be pulled instead of the normal two people see plying the routes around KL.
Hilmy said the monorail was suitable for Asian cities as the system required a smaller footprint. Its tighter turning radius compared with LRTs lowers the cost of civil structures. The guideway beams are much narrower than LRT systems.
Other plus points, Hilmy said, were the monorail's pleasant aesthetics and its much quieter run.
But the biggest advantage was that a monorail system was cheaper and faster to construct, he said.
Although no firm monorail orders are in hand, the company is at various stages of negotiations with its potential customers.
In India, Scomi Engineering is focusing on four cities interested in monorail lines.
“Now it is actually going to the next stage of identifying the right partner for the civil structures and the right form of funding, whether PFI (private finance initiative), government funding or quasi PFI,'' he said.
“We are also in an advanced stage in Vietnam – in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. We were informed we would soon be given a letter of intent to give us the exclusive right to come up with a firm proposal,'' said Hilmy.
He said Scomi Engineering's partner in Medina had been working on a proposal for the past one year and had submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Transportation. The partner is now raising funding.
For Malaysia, Hilmy said, the rail business was starting to boom.
“There are the expansion in KL, new lines in Penang and Johor Baru, and the double tracking,'' he said.
Hilmy said rail players throughout the world were coming to Malaysia and setting up offices. “Malaysia is at a cycle where the country has to invest in rail,'' he said, adding that cities in the region such as Singapore, Manila and Bangkok were also ramping up their rail emphasis. The Government during Budget 2008 announced a spending plan of RM12bil to improve public transport in KL and Penang over four years.
Although bidding prices are secret, Hilmy said that going by the KL Monorail construction prices, the bill to construct a kilometre of monorail was RM100mil.
Of the RM100mil per km, Hilmy said, the civil works accounted for 40% of the cost while systems, about 60%.
He said Scomi Engineering was discussing building more than 20km of tracks and systems in Vietnam and in Medina, it involved more than 30km.
In India, the length in total is between 40km and 50km of monorail and in Penang, where it is partnering with Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd and Penang Port, it is more than 30km.
The real problem of a rail system, he said, was funding, especially when fares were kept low.
“No rail project is self funding or self sustainable without Government assistance in one form or another,” Hilmy said.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/17/business/18900921&sec=business
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/17/business/18900921&sec=business
There has previously been some criticism on this forum of Malaysia's attempts to home-grow monorail. (See link below.) three articles below. The last contains some information about the possibility of manufacturing some monorail equipment in Thailand:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=14641&postcount=122
Scomi Engineering to launch 2nd generation monorail
KUALA LUMPUR: Scomi Engineering Bhd is set to launch its second-generation monorail next month as the company gets closer to clinching major monorail jobs abroad.
The engineering-based company is said to have been shortlisted for work in India, the Middle East and Vietnam.
The second-generation monorail presents more than a interesting choice for cities.
Having been successfully tested, the monorail is able to accommodate more people into each car and brings the carrying capacity closer to that of light rail transit systems (LRT).
The cars are wider and more cars can be pulled in a single journey compared to the current two, making the system, which runs on a tighter radius than LRT systems, more suitable in congested Asian cities.
Scomi Engineering was reported to be in discussions to build more than 20km of tracks and systems in Vietnam, and in Medina it is negotiating to build 30km of monorail tracks.
In India, it is looking to build between 40km and 50km of monorail while in Penang, it is partnering with Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd and Penang Port for the island's monorail project of more than 30km.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/5/business/19087761&sec=business
Scomi: Gen 2 monorail for
Penang if we get deal
By Sharen Kaur
sharen@nstp.com.my
October 5 2007
SCOMI Group Bhd says it has proposed to supply its second generation monorail, known as Gen 2, for the Penang monorail project, if it gets the nod for the deal from the government.
"We have bid for the job and are proposing to supply Gen 2, which is cheaper to operate and maintain," said group chief executive officer Shah Hakim Zain.
However, he declined to reveal the value of the bid submitted by Scomi for the project.
The 52km Penang monorail contract is reportedly worth RM1.6 billion, and is one of the largest infrastructure projects on offer on the island.
According to Shah Hakim, the Penang monorail has attracted five bidders and tenders are expected to close on November 14.
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (SPNB) is responsible for the tenders.
Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) group managing director Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said previously that MRCB and consortium members Penang Ports Sdn Bhd and Scomi Group subsidiary MTrans Transportation Systems Sdn Bhd expect to submit their proposal to SPNB in the next few months.
Shahril Ridza also said that SPNB might announce the winning bid by year-end.
Other firms that had bid for the monorail project are Japan's Hitachi Group, Melewar Industrial Group and MMC Metrail Sdn Bhd, a unit linked to tycoon by Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary.
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Friday/Frontpage/SCOMM2.xml/Article/index_html
Scomi mulls overseas plants
By Sharen Kaur
sharen@nstp.com.my
October 5 2007
SCOMI Group Bhd may set up assembly plants overseas if it is successful in half of the bids it has made to supply trains, its top official said.
Its energy and logistics engineering unit, Scomi Engineering Bhd, already has a plant in Rawang, Selangor, which makes monorails and buses.
Group chief executive officer Shah Hakim Zain said Scomi has bid for 14 contracts in India, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam where it plans to supply the second-generation monorail (Gen 2).
Gen 2, a four-car train that has higher passenger capacity and can travel at 90km an hour, is expected to be launched at the end of next month. The international launch is planned by December.
"We are in discussion with the relevant parties in Riyadh and Medina for the proposed monorail projects there," Shah Hakim said at a briefing for The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd group newspapers at Balai Berita in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Scomi hopes to supply 30 sets of trains for the Medina lines (36.7km), he said.
More lucrative contracts are expected in India as major cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Kerala and Hyderabad each require three monorail lines, stretching between 25km and 35km per line.
"There is more demand for monorails in India due to congestion," Shah Hakim said.
Scomi is already investing close to RM10 million to build a second plant in Rawang for expansion.
Future expansion has already been earmarked at the same plant according to projected orders.
Shah Hakim said Scomi is in talks with the relevant authorities in Thailand where the government has approved a 30km line for a monorail system and in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam, which would boost orders for its monorails.
"We are spending a lot of time in these countries and hope to get something out of the markets," he said, without giving the value of contracts it has bid for.
Scomi senior vice-president Hilmy Zaini Zainal said previously, it bid for contracts to build light trains in the country and abroad worth some RM6.4 billion.
Meanwhile, Shah Hakim said the cost for monorails supplied to different countries would be similar.
He also said that Scomi, which is one of two companies besides Hitachi that are generally shortlisted for overseas jobs, would not hold overseas concessions for now.
Scomi is expected to invest close to RM50 million in research and development of its monorail system this year. It hopes to start engineering design work for Gen 3, a third new-generation product with lower operational and maintenance cost, by the first quarter of 2008.
"It may take 12 to 14 months before we launch it. Gen 3 will have higher capacity and cost cheaper than the light rail transit (LRT) transportation system," Shah Hakim said.
Based on a report by an international infrastructure consultant, the capital cost for the KL Monorail system was US$37 million (RM127 million), compared with US$50 million (RM171 million) and US$68 million (RM233 million) for STAR and Putra LRT respectively.
Scomi Engineering unit, Scomi Transportation Systems Sdn Bhd, took over KL Monorail in mid-1998, during the financial crises, to offer its technology.
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Friday/Frontpage/SCOMM.xml/Article/index_html
Thailand Monorail Watch:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=17533#post17533
[SCOMI Rail to send final plan for Hanoi project
By B.K. SIDHU
PETALING JAYA: Scomi Rail Bhd, a unit of Scomi Engineering Bhd, has been given exclusive rights by the People’s Community of Hanoi City to submit a final proposal with costs for the development of a more than RM1bil monorail project, sources said.
.......... (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2557)]
It has so far submitted bids to supply over 300 trains to several countries, including India (where it is looking to build about 50km of tracks), Syria, Mauritius, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Thailand. It is also in talks to supply 30 sets of trains for the 36.7km Medina lines.
It is learnt that the company had on Tuesday submitted its bid together with partner, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd, for the Penang monorail project.
Come Nov 26, the company is also set to launch its second-generation monorail in Kuala Lumpur. The monorail is able to accommodate more passengers in each car, thereby increasing the capacity so as to be closer to that of light rail transit (LRT) systems.
Scomi Engineering has its own technology in the monorail business and it also supplies electrical and mechanical systems for any type of monorail.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Scomi had secured a RM121.8mil contract to upgrade the wayside electrical and mechanical systems for Putra LRT’s fleet expansion project for the Kelana Jaya line.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/16/business/19491244&sec=business
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/16/business/19491244&sec=business
November 24, 2007 16:02 PM
Greater Marketing Push For M'sian-made Monorails In Heavily-Populated Cities
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- As Asian countries like Malaysia, India, Vietnam and China become more urbanised, the question of transportation like moving large numbers of people may be challenging and costly.
Building more roads and highways may be out of the question in highly urbanised areas.
As such, monorails had been the answer for mass transit solutions in areas like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.
According to industry sources, monorails are ideal for increasingly congested cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Ho Chi Minh City.
One source said monorails offered busy cities more effective and viable solutions compared to other conventional rail systems.
He said among them were safety and reliability, smaller infrastructure footprints, high manoeuvrability, environmental-friendly and lower costs.
A monorail, he said, also has a tighter turning radius when compared to a light rail transit (LRT).
"An LRT needs a radius of 100m-150m while a monorail needs only 50m.
"A monorail's cost of civil structure is lower and guideway beams are also much narrower than the LRT's," he said.
The source said monorails also had pleasant aesthetic appeal and were much quieter to run.
"However, the biggest advantage for a monorail system is that it is much cheaper and faster to construct," he said.
Of the many Malaysian logistics companies, Scomi Group, via Scomi Transportation Systems and Scomi Rail Bhd (formerly known as MTrans Technology Bhd), is poised to take advantage of the keen interest in monorails these days.
It is understood the Scomi Group will be bidding for several projects in countries like India and Vietnam soon.
The group, which is also in energy-related projects, has been aggressively marketing its engineering expertise in a number of countries in the last few months.
Scomi Transportation had been responsible for work on the KL monorail project in mid-1998 during the Asian financial crisis.
The Scomi Group will launch its second generation monorail system here on Monday at an event to be officiated at by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The second generation monorails are expected to transport more people in each carriage and more than two carriages on a single journey to bring its carrying capacity closer to LRTs.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
November 26, 2007 20:50 PM
Scomi Eyes RM6 Billion Monorail Projects Overseas
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Scomi Group Bhd, which has invested RM35 million to build its next generation monorail, SUTRA (Scomi Urban Transit Rail Application), is currently pursuing overseas deals worth RM6 billion for the home-built urban transportation system.
"We are bidding in the country and internationally quite actively," group chief executive officer, Shah Hakim Zain, told reporters after the launch of the SUTRA by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here today.
He said cities and governments needed time to think and implement a large-scale project such as the monorail system.
On the home front, he said, Scomi, which has teamed up with Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd and Penang Port, has earlier this month submitted its bid for the 30km monorail project in Penang.
"In the tender, we offered this product (SUTRA)," he said, adding that there were three other bidders for the project.
Shah Hakim said the SUTRA was now on trial run at the one-kilometre track at the group's manufacturing facility in Rawang where potential customers, both local and international, would have the chance to view its capabilities.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
See also two previous posts oin this thread:
Made-in-Malaysia monorail launched
By SHAHANAAZ HABIB
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2007/11/27/nation/03scomi2.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Local pride: (From right) Scomi CEO Shah Hakim Zain, Najib and Asmat inspecting a Scomi monorail train at the Matrade convention centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.]
http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2007/11/27/business/najib.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Having a closer look at the homegrown monorail called Sutra. Scomi Group Bhd CEO Shah Hakim Zain (right), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak (centre) and Scomi chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaluddin after the unveiling at Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre, KL.]
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has unveiled another first – its very own homegrown monorail.
The Sutra monorail was developed by the Scomi Group over the last 12 months.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who launched the new monorail yesterday, called it a significant milestone.
“Today, Scomi has become one of only three major players in the world’s monorail business and has successfully developed a homegrown Malaysian monorail system ready to take on the world,” he said yesterday.
Najib said it was a pleasure to note Scomi aggressively pursuing deals in countries like India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt and South Korea collectively valued at RM6bil.
He said regions like Eastern Europe and South America with emerging economies, too, were worth looking into because it was only a matter of time before they needed to consider investing in modern, relatively-inexpensive and practical modes of public transportation.
At a press conference later, Najib said that Scomi, being a homegrown company with very high value local content, had an advantage and was in a “very competitive position” to be considered for monorail projects in the country.
He said the global world was very competitive and it was essential to position Malaysia and Malaysian companies internationally.
“We must build our reputation so that our name is synonymous with reliability, quality, technology and competitive pricing,” he said.
Chairman of Scomi Group Bhd Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin said total investment for the Sutra monorail was about RM35mil including for research, development and factory expansion.
He said 30 personnel members including 23 engineers and experts in areas of structural and mechanical engineering, design, quality, safety and procurement worked on it for 12 months at Scomi’s manufacturing facility in Rawang which was equipped with its own 1km of monorail test track.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/27/nation/19585318&sec=nation
Scomi Engineering aims big with Sutra
KUALA LUMPUR: Scomi Engineering Bhd is participating in bids and proposals in countries like India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt and South Korea, as well as Malaysia to offer its next generation monorail called Scomi Urban Transit Rail Application (Sutra).
Scomi Engineering, which is part of the Scomi Group Bhd, is involved in energy and logistics engineering.
The tendered projects were worth RM6bil, said group chief executive officer Shah Hakim Zain after the launch of Sutra yesterday.
However, it was uncertain when the company would be able to secure its first order for Sutra as “the decision to purchase a monorail is a big decision for any government or city,” he said.
In Vietnam, the group has been given six months to conduct a detailed study with the railway department in Hanoi for a monorail project in the city.
Shah Hakim noted that there had been “huge interest” in monorail among Asian countries in the past eight to 12 months due to rapid urbanisation and high fuel cost.
“Many don't realise that a six-car train can take away 17 buses from the road,” he said, adding that monorail could ease traffic congestion and pollution.
Locally, Scomi Engineering had submitted a bid for the Penang monorail project. “There are four bidders for the Penang monorail, so we have 25% chance,” Shah Hakim said, adding that the monorail could cost US$20mil to US$30mil per km.
Johor and Malacca were also suitable for monorail due to the population density while Kuala Lumpur could see extension from the current system, he said.
However, Scomi Engineering had not submitted any plans to the Government for the extension in Kuala Lumpur, Shah Hakim said.
“The Government is planning to take over the KL monorail and will decide what to do afterwards. Utilisation is very high for the KL monorail,” he added.
Sutra complies with 50 international standards comprising safety, quality assurance, vehicle certification, reliability, availability and maintainability.
Its enhanced features include composite body and interior panel, new bogie system and structure, mass transit components drive train, improved propulsion and control system, as well as regenerative and pneumatic brake system. It has 20%-23% more passenger capacity than the current KL monorail.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/27/business/19585053&sec=business
jpatokal
15-12-07, 05:26 PM
Here's Scomi's own site:
http://www.scomigroup.com.my/core/energy_monorail.asp
Fairly fluffy, but there is a technical spec SPF:
http://www.scomigroup.com.my/core/monorail_technical_brochurel.pdf
Scomi In Race For Mumbai's Monorail Project
By P. Vijian
NEW DELHI, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- A consortium consisting of Malaysia's Scomi Engineering Bhd and Larsen & Tourbo Ltd is one of the seven companies vying for the billion ringgit monorail project in Mumbai, India's financial hub.
It is seen as a tight race as major engineering giants are bidding for the project worth RM5 billion to build the four corridors stretching 70 kilometres in the city and suburbs.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said the seven companies had submitted their bids and the bidders would be shortlisted within the next 20 days while work is scheduled to begin in May.
"Scomi has submitted the RSQ (request for quotation) and is serious about the project. This is the Malaysian company's first attempt on a monorail project in India," an industry source familiar with the infrastructure project told Bernama.
Others in the fray are Bombardier Transportation, a consortium of Kalpataru Power Transmission-JMC-Intimin Transportation Ltd, Videocon Industries with Aerospace of the United States and Gammon India with MET Rail.
The Ambani brothers, two Indian business czars, seemed to be taking their corporate rivalry to Mumbai, with Anil Ambani's Reliance Energy Ltd teaming up with Japan's Hitachi while older brother Mukesh's Ambani Reliance Engineering Associated has joined forces with Siemens AG, to bid for the monorail project.
On Monday, metropolitan commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad told reporters that the project would be implemented on a built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis and is expected to be put onstream within two years.
The MMRDA estimated the cost of building one kilometre of monorail track to come up to about RM85 million.
Each bus will have a capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in peak direction and the monorail bus will run at a speed of less than 20 km per hour.
The monorail is expected to supplement the existing railways and the proposed metro lines that will help the traffic-choked city, home to about 15 million people.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
See also KL Monorail Watch thread:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2765
Penang Monorail project:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3144
February 21, 2008 14:33 PM
Sutra Monorail Fits Indian Cities, Says Scomi
By P. Vijian
NEW DELHI, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- After launching the second- generation monorail Sutra in Kuala Lumpur last November, Scomi Engineering Bhd is now ready to introduce the upgraded version to burgeoning Indian cities.
Sutra or Scomi Urban Transit Rail Application with its enhanced capacity, ergonomics and safety features could be the best mode of urban transportation system to move millions within crowded Indian cities.
"Our Sutra definitely fits environments like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. We do come here with a solution for congested cities, already existing cities or upcoming cities," Scomi Rail Bhd's engineering and design head Johnny Boulianne told Bernama.
"It (Sutra) has the capability to negotiate tight corners, existing roads without disturbing buildings or specific areas," he said.
Scomi is competing for its first monorail project in India and was one of the seven consortiums to submit a bid, along its co-partner Larsen & Tourbo Ltd, for the RM5 billion Mumbai monorail project, stretching for about 70 kilometres in the city.
It is in a tight race with major players like Bombardier Transportation and Japan's Hitachi for the Mumbai project as well as other major Indian cities that are eyeing monorails as an alternative mode to resolve the nagging traffic congestion in their expanding cities.
"Cost is where we believe we have the edge. Our corporate objective is to bring down the cost per kilometre so that we can offer a system which every city can afford," Boulianne said.
The home-grown Sutra, equipped with improved features such as composite body and interior panel, new bogie system and structure, could easily transport 30,000 passengers per direction at 90-kilometre speed per hour.
Scomi, via its subsidiary Scomi Rail, is one of the two integrated monorail system providers in the world that offers a complete package from design, fabrication and integration of monorail rolling stock and related electro-mechanical system.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Scomi eyes RM5b worth of monorail projects
PETALING JAYA: Scomi Group Bhd is bidding for RM5bil to RM6bil worth of monorail system projects in India, Iran and the Middle East.
Chief executive officer Shah Hakim Zain said the Iranian government had budgeted for four monorail lines in Tehran and one each in Karat and Marshad City.
Shah Hakim Zain
“For Tehran, the group has already put in an official proposal and is cautiously optimistic on clinching the project,” he said after Scomi's briefing on its employee training and development programmes yesterday.
He said the group was focusing on its monorail activities overseas and was in initial stages of discussion for another three to four monorail system projects in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Shah Hakim said the monorail system market was “big, especially with oil prices exerting pressure on transportation costs.”
“The automobile is going to be redundant in many cities, and many cities have allocated monorail corridors in their master plan,” he said.
As for the Penang monorail project, Shah Hakim said: “We have submitted a tender and are just waiting for the Federal or state government to decide. The tender process was very transparent.”
The group was also shortlisted for monorail projects in Mumbai and would be submitting its final tenders to India on June 15, he said.
On staff development, Shah Hakim said as a global organisation with a presence in 36 countries, Scomi was continually training its staff to move up the ladder and had launched several development programmes targeted at different levels of employees
He said the group allocated about RM2mil a year for the Scomi executive managerial programme, which runs two times per year.
Each group consists of about 20 people and runs for eight days.
“We bring Scomi staff from around the world to Malaysia to exchange ideas, network and understand the Malaysian culture because Scomi is a Malaysia-based company,” he said.
For the senior-level managers, Scomi also provides the opportunity for employees to undergo a 2½-year MBA programme.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/8/business/21187468&sec=business
Scomi's answer to Viet traffic woes
Published: 2008/05/31
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Industries/BizFocus/SCOMI8.xml/Article/Current_News/BTIMES/Images/btgraph8/scomi31.jpg
[Photo: Business times Online]
Hanoi’s roads are getting more congested as vehicle ownership rises in tandem with the increasing affluence of the Vietnamese. Scomi Engineering tells Marina Emmanuel how a monorail system can help ease the city’s transport woes.
AS CITIES around the world look for ways to check growing traffic congestion, the monorail is emerging as an attractive option.
One such city is Hanoi in Vietnam, which is celebrating its 1,000th year next year and is home to five million people.
Against a backdrop of heritage-rich structures, quaint lakes and old trees, traffic jams have been plaguing the city where motorbikes and bicycles are found at virtually every corner.
Roads and streets are narrow and cannot cater to the rising number of vehicles that are mushrooming in tandem with the rising affluence of the country.
The Hanoi authorities have set about finding a quick and painless solution.
"The Vietnamese Government has outlined a master plan for the city and identified that there are potential corridors for monorails," Scomi Engineering Bhd president Hilmy Zaini Zainal said.
Like most Asian countries, Vietnam appears to have a vacuum in its public transport infrastructure between the public bus service and its railway systems.
Interestingly, Hanoi used to boast a tram system, but Hilmy said this was discontinued to let cars, motorcyles and trucks have better use of the roads.
In April, Scomi Engineering inked a collaborative agreement with the Hanoi Metropolitan Rail Management Board to form a strategic partnership. They will prepare a feasibility study on the implementation of a monorail system in Hanoi.
The tie-up has been granted an exclusive right by Hanoi's People's Committee to prepare a comprehensive proposal on a monorail network that would also be connected with other urban transportation systems. This would include eight lines of urban rail network and urban and inter-urban bus networks to allow for transfers with the rail system.
As for the monorail system, a 52km circle line around Hanoi was proposed. Scomi Engineering is due to complete its proposal around October this year.
Among others, the areas to be covered by Scomi Engineering as part of its feasibility study will include ridership, system and alignment concepts, soil investigation, underground utilities mapping and financial modelling.
"The execution of this collaboration agreement, signifies acceptance and confidence in Scomi's monorail technology," said Scomi Transportation Systems Sdn Bhd director Datuk Siddiq Firdause Mohd Ali.
Scomi Transportation Systems is an authorised representative of Scomi Engineering. Scomi has been operating through a representative office in Vietnam since 2007.
"From our representative office, we have introduced the various businesses of the group such as oilfield services, production enhancement and energy logistics to Vietnam.
In November last year, Scomi unveiled its new Sutra monorail. Sutra is short for Scomi Urban Transit Rail Application.
Since then, it has formed alliances to bid for a number of projects in Malaysia and abroad.
In India, Scomi and its consortium partner Larsen & Toubro Ltd are among three groups shortlisted for the multi-billion-dollar Mumbai monorail project, which encompasses more than 20km of track.
Scomi is also eyeing countries like Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt and South Korea.
At home, it is part of a group that includes Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd, bidding for a monorail project on Penang island.
"Today, we are seeing a growing interest in monorail as an urban transit solution, especially in cities where transit corridors are limited in space and dense in nature," said Siddiq.
"It is an environmentally-friendly urban transport solution that is a welcome addition to any city, to alleviate traffic congestion faced by many cities such as Hanoi and Penang's George Town, as a consequence of rapid urbanisation."
As a solution for congestion, Hilmy points to the monorail's benefits.
"Its smaller 'footprint', he says, "means less construction material and land and time to construct, which translates to lower cost of construction which can be carried out with minimum interruption to the city's road traffic."
"The monorail being on an elevated guide-way structure, will enhance the appearance of heritage cities and at the same time, accord the commuters with a good view of the city from vantage angles, apart from being aesthetically attractive."
Hilmy says Malaysian cities and towns like Putrajaya, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang and Johor Baru can also be a perfect match for a monorail system.
In the case of Hanoi and George Town where historical buildings abound, Hilmy said that the manoeuvrability of a monorail system helps to avoid building relocation or demolition.
"This," he said, "is because the monorails have the flexibility to negotiate curves of 50m radius like the KL Monorail, tight 90-degree turns like the Las Vegas Monorail and wrap a luxury hotel around the track like at the Grand Californian Courtyard hotel near Disneyland."
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Industries/BizFocus/SCOMI8.xml/Article/
June 11, 2008 19:02 PM
Scomi Optimistic Of Winning Monorail Project Bid
KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- Scomi Engineering Bhd, which has been shortlisted for the Mumbai monorail project, is optimistic of winning the bid.
"We are putting in the right resources including people to beef up the team for the project.
"We are also proposing to build a new factory while enhancing engineering and development initiatives. We are positive about winning the bid," said its president, Hilmy Zaini, at a media briefing here Wednesday.
Scomi and its partner, India-based Larsen & Toubro Ltd, were shortlisted in March for the monorail project, reportedly worth between RM1.5 billion to RM2 billion.
The other two shortlisted bidders are Reliance Energy Hitachi and Bombardier Transportation India.
The outcome of the bid is expected to be known in mid-August.
"Based on the project that we are working on now we can expect an award soon," said Hilmy.
According to Scomi's senior vice-president (special projects), Kanesan Velupillai, the company would invest in a plant in India for the manufacturing of buses and eventually use it for the assembly of the monorail.
"This is an important decision. We will make an announcement when we finalise the collaboration agreement and partnership on the bus manufacturing project," he said.
Kanesan said Scomi was also concurrently bidding for monorail projects in Delhi, Bangalore, Patna and Pune.
Asked on the total value of these contracts, Kanesan said, it was more important to look at the number of the cities involved.
"India alone has 25 new cities. There are 30 cities with more than a million people and thus you can imagine the market size," he said.
Besides India, he said Scomi was also looking at monorail projects in a few cities in the Middle East, namely Dubai, Madinah, Jeddah and Mecca.
"These are in very early stages of development and need a proper study," Hilmy said.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Scomi finalising Bologna rail plan
By Zuraimi Abdullah
Published: 2008/06/12
A proposal to link Bologna's central station to its international airport will be submitted within the next few months, says Scomi Engineering head of rail division
SCOMI Group Bhd's logistics unit Scomi Engineering Bhd is finalising a proposal to build a monorail system in the city of Bologna as it marks Italy as one of its four primary markets.
Scomi Engineering and an Italian partner are to propose a line linking Bologna's central station to its international airport, its top executives said.
They also said that the winning bid to develop a RM5 billion monorail system in Mumbai, India, would be known after July 15 when tenders are closed.
Scomi Engineering president Hilmy Zaini said there were seven pre-qualified bids before the number was trimmed to three.
Scomi and its Indian partner are now competing with Bombardier and a partnership between Hitachi and a local firm.
Hilmy spoke at a briefing on the company's rail operations in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Senior vice president V. Kanesan said the company may spend more than RM50 million to set up a monorail and bus manufacturing factory possibly in Mumbai. The facility should be completed by the end of the year, he added.
Kanesan said Scomi Engineering was bidding or invited to submit monorail proposals for 20 cities in the Asia-Pacific region.
Elaborating on the Italian job, Scomi Engineering head of rail division Mike Dickinson said a proposal would be submitted within the next few months.
There should be three to four stations between the line covering several kilometres, with Scomi Engineering providing equipment and electrical and mechanical support, Dickinson added.
Italy joins India, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia as Scomi Engineering's top targeted markets to further grow its monorail business.
Nigeria, Thailand, Indonesia and Bahrain are in the company's list of secondary target markets.
Dickinson said that the tenders were reopened by the Bologna authority after postponing it in March when all five consortiums invited to submit their bid did not respond.
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Thursday/Nation/komy.xml/Article/
Friday June 13, 2008
Scomi to refurbish 150 Prasarana Negara buses
By EILEEN HEE
RAWANG: Scomi Engineering Bhd via business division Scomi Coach Sdn Bhd expects to complete refurbishing 150 buses within two months for a major customer.
According to president Hilmy Zaini, the buses, which belong to Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, would be refurbished at a price that was much lower than the cost of purchasing new buses.
“We have refurbished 50 buses,” he said during a media visit to the company’s monorail and bus manufacturing facility in Rawang yesterday.
Last year, the bus division contributed RM20mil to the company’s revenue, Hilmy said.
He added that Scomi was targeting to enter new markets for its bus business and planned to expand to India.
“Because of the (monorail) projects that we are involved in there (India), we find that this could be an opportunity for us.
“We are also looking to introduce the completely-knocked-down business for export,” he said.
The facility in Rawang, which produces about 400 buses a year, also will see an adjacent factory built in six months.
“This new facility would be used to manufacture monorail and rail systems,” he said.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/13/business/21539246&sec=business
The links to this blog are not functioning correctly for some reason. And copying the link from the actual blog page doesn't seem to work either. I can only suggest that you follow the link below or in the quote to reach Scomi's intro page on 'rail'. Then hit the 'Trainspotting' Blog link middle page top. (NOT the link at the bottom of the page, which seems to be not working.):
http://www.scomi.com.my/rail/
Interesting Monorail urban graffiti-style paint-job that looks like it might be on the Sentosa Express:
http://211.24.151.205:8700/getfile/cae04d64-ab7f-4a21-967e-2b97c9156dce/new-newyork-03-copy.aspx
Scomi launches 'Trainspotting' blog
SCOMI Group Bhd has launched a new blog named “Trainspotting” to stay competitive and to reach out to global audience.
Trainspotting, at http://www.scomi.com.my/rail/, is part of Scomi’s online marketing strategy for commuters, rail enthusiasts and transport players to share ideas and comments on urban transport systems and development.
Its group chief executive officer, Shah Hakim Zain, said Trainspotting would also serve as a channel for Scomi and rail enthusiasts to have dialogues and receive regular feedback especially on monorail systems.
“At Scomi, we are open to new ideas and welcome feedback on how to improve our products in the market,” he said in a statement.
Registered visitors to the blog will be updated via e-newsletter on global news about monorail, monorail systems development and updates on Scomi Rail Bhd’s activities, it said.
Trainspotting is set up to establish Scomi’s position and capabilities as one of the three world’s leading monorail system providers and as a long-term strategy for Scomi to build a globally-recognised brand, it added. — Bernama
http://www.ktmrailwayfan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3085&highlight=
http://www.scomitrainspotting.com
jpatokal
15-08-08, 01:35 PM
Scuttlebutt says (http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=352708) that Scomi has clinched the Mumbai Monorail project:
A consortium, comprising Scomi Engineering Bhd and its co-partner Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T), is believed to be the successful bidder for the RM1.01 billion first monorail project in Mumbai.
The other bidder was Reliance Infrastructure, which had partnered with Japanese firm Hitachi, to construct the 20-km elevated monorail in India's financial capital.
The Times of India reported that Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad, said the main deciding factor was the time frame to complete the project.
"The bid submitted by L&T and Scomi was more sound and promising than the one submitted by Anil's Reliance Infrastructure and Hitachi of Japan," Gaikwad was quoting as saying by the Times.
According to Gaikwad, L&T and Scomi promised to complete the project within 24 months while Reliance Infrastructure, headed by its India's business tycoon Anil Ambani, needed over 50 months for the first phase of the mega project.
Of course, it's a still long way even from an official announcement to actually building something.
jpatokal
04-11-08, 06:55 PM
Managed to miss this last month, but looks like Scomi bagged the Mumbai deal:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=365232
Work on the 25 km first line is supposed to start this month:
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2008/11/04/Njk2MTM%3D/Mumbai_Monorail_work_to_commence_by_November_2008. html
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