MelakaTransport:Aerorail & Raillink

[Sunthorn]

http://malaxi.com/map_railway_links.html

After a 60 year absence, trains may again be chungging into Malacca.

KTM behad is conducting a feasibility study on restarting the former Tampin-Malacca link. Anohter study is on the Mentakab-Kuantan link.

The Tampin-Malacca link ended in World War Two when the Japanese dug up the tracks and used them to build the Dealth Railway between Thailand and Mynmar.

A rail link would benefit Malacca, providing the historical city with an alternative mode of trasport.

Malacca does not have a major port, the railway will serve passengers rather than freight.

[GWR]

Presumably, 6 years includes planning AND construction!? Mighty slow otherwise!:

Monorail for historical city

MALACCA: The Historical City may have its own monorail system costing RM1.5 billion connecting Ayer Keroh to Bandar Hilir. The proposed project is currently awaiting the nod from the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister's Department and the Ministry of Transport.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the proposed project, which would take six years to complete, would be undertaken by Pyramid Express Sdn Bhd.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/2130396/Article/index_html

See also post on tentative suggestion that the Electric Rail Link to KLIA could also be extended to Seremban, Port Dickson and or Melaka:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=19186&postcount=56

[GWR]

Presumably, 6 years includes planning AND construction!? Mighty slow otherwise!:

Monorail for historical city

MALACCA: The Historical City may have its own monorail system costing RM1.5 billion connecting Ayer Keroh to Bandar Hilir. The proposed project is currently awaiting the nod from the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister's Department and the Ministry of Transport.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the proposed project, which would take six years to complete, would be undertaken by Pyramid Express Sdn Bhd.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/2130396/Article/index_html

See also post on tentative suggestion that the Electric Rail Link to KLIA could also be extended to Seremban, Port Dickson and or Melaka:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=19186&postcount=56

I seem to have mislaid the link & date for the following article! Sorry! It was posted originally about two months back if I remember rightly!?

RM 1bil ‘Venice of the East’ project for Malacca

MALACCA: The state government has approved the reclamation of a 72ha site off the Portuguese Settlement for mixed development, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said.

He said a private company, Bumi Tabah Sdn Bhd, which is undertaking the reclamation would create six man-made islands that would have hotels, shopping malls and high-end residential apartments.

“Malacca can be called Venice of the East once again after completion of the six islands, expected within five years,” Mohd Ali told reporters after presenting presents to children at Portuguese Settlement.

He said there would be road links from the commercial area of Taman Melaka Raya to Tengkera, adding that the state also planned to construct a coastal highway connecting Melaka Raya, Padang Temu, Pertam and the Air Keroh-Merlimau-Jasin highway.

The Chief Minister gave his assurance that the fishermen along the coast would not be affected by the projects, as a new jetty would be built at Klebang beach soon.

"The new jetty would serve as a centre for all fishing boats to land their catches," he said.

Bumi Tabah director Joseph Sta Maria said the project would complement the coastal corridor development planned by the state government.

"We are investing RM1 bil for the reclamation which is expected to be completed within 18 months together with the creation of the six islands," he said.

Sta Maria said the project would be marketed in Dubai, Australia, Singapore and China next year.

Recent post on the history of the long-dismantled Melaka Branch Railway, which might be revived in future:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=18683&postcount=45

[GWR]

Presumably, 6 years includes planning AND construction!? Mighty slow otherwise!:
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/2130396/Article/index_html

See also post on tentative suggestion that the Electric Rail Link to KLIA could also be extended to Seremban, Port Dickson and or Melaka:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=19186&postcount=56

I seem to have mislaid the link & date for the following article! Sorry! It was posted originally about two months back if I remember rightly!?

Recent post on the history of the long-dismantled Melaka Branch Railway, which might be revived in future:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=18683&postcount=45

Malacca to resolve land issue with KTM

By STEVEN DANIEL

MALACCA: The state government wants to resolve the issue of an 18km stretch of land from Pulau Sebang to Batu Berendam which had been reserved for the rail network.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said no decision could be made yet as the state is unaware of the future plans of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB).

He said a 200m area along the 18km had been reserved for the past several decades for the expansion of the existing rail network from Tampin to Pulau Sebang onwards to Batu Berendam.

"But over time, in some of the areas, people occupied the land and constructed houses and are now making applications to obtain the land," he told reporters after launching a gotong royong at Kampung Gangsa here on Sunday.

Mohd Ali said the reserved land was for the expansion of the rail network from Tampin to Pulau Sebang to Batu Berendam.

"We have to find out the future plans of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). If there are plans to have the network until Batu Berendam, we cannot approve the people's requests," he said.

Mohd Ali said that if there were plans to have a rail network, then the bullet train concept should be considered rather than the expansion of the existing rail network.

"The bullet train can travel from Johor Baru to Muar, Malacca and towards KLIA or KL without passing through Tampin," he said, adding that the new tracks could be built along the highway.

Mohd Ali said the faster train network would be able to ease transportation between the major cities in the country.

"I will have a meeting with the Transport Ministry soon to discuss this matter and decide once and for all on the issue," he said.

Mohd Ali said if the decision by the ministry was to retain the track, then the state government would offer alternative sites to the residents who had built their homes there since the Japanese occupation almost 70 years ago.

"I want to settle this as soon as possible so that the residents won't have to live in uncertainty,” he said.

Mohd Ali said another option would be to build medium cost homes for the residents who can rent it and later purchase it from the state government.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/27/nation/20080127172420&sec=nation

See also thread on the rather 'fantasy' Bullet Train' project:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=1761

[GWR]

http://www.aerobus.com/Assets/images/traffic-rls.png
[Photo: http://www.aerobus.com/ ]

February 27, 2008 23:37 PM

Melaka To Have Aerorail System

MELAKA, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- Melaka is to have a RM1.8 billion Aerorail urban mass transit system, the first in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, which will be completed by 2010.

The Aerorail system will be built, operated and managed by Pyramid Express Sdn Bhd while the technical and project management support will be provided by Pinggiran Pelangi Sdn Bhd, the local agent of Aerobus International of Houston, USA.

Pyramid Express managing director Datuk Lim Sue Beng said today the company expects to earn RM600,000 a month from the operation of the aerorail system when it goes into service.

He said the aerorail will be built in two phases and the construction work will start within six months with a capital investment of RM586 million, while the second phase will cost RM807 million.

"For the moment, the second phase will only start after the repayment of the cost of the first phase is completed," he said after the ground-breaking ceremony for the first Aerorail Hotel and Station at Lebuh Ayer Keroh here.

Lim said the first phase will cover a distance of 9.565 km, which will include the construction of 10 station hotels.

In the second phase, another 8.77 km with an additional three stations will be built.

The system will cover a distance of 18.4 km. The route begins near the Ayer Keroh toll plaza and will proceed to Melaka Zoo, Melaka International Trade Centre, Melaka Mall, Melaka General Hospital, Melaka Sentral, Hang Tuah Mall, across the river to the Clock Tower and ends at the Mahkota Medical Centre in Bandar Hilir.

Upon the completion of the aerorail system, there will be 10 stations with 10 250-room 4-star hotels.

Lim said the company is investing RM500 million in the hotels.

Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam, who performed the ground breaking ceremony, said the entire project is expected to create more than 5,000 job opportunities for the local population as well as economic benefits to local businesses.

"The Aerorail will also be a tourist attraction for both local and international visitors as it will be the only one in this region.

"In addition, it will be a convenient and efficient transport system for the benefit of the local population," he said.

Mohd Ali said the Aerorail will be a welcome boost for Melaka as it will not only reduce traffic congestion and pollution but also cater to the increasing tourist population, which is expected to reach more than eight million in 2010 from the 5.7 million last year.

-- BERNAMA

Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/

This should give you some idea:
http://www.aerobus.com/

A self-propelled vehicle speeds silently through the sky carrying 300 passengers. Riding high above congested freeway or gliding over rivers and other impassable barriers, it is the last word in transit technology.

Called Aerobus, this proven system is economical to install, environmentally friendly, and pollution-free.

Utilizing a patented cable suspension concept, Aerobus is the only solution for certain difficult alignments. And Aerobus may be configured to move people or cargo.

Aerobus installations have operated safely and reliably for millions of passenger miles and have been favorably evaluated by specialists working for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

[GWR]

http://www.aerobus.com/Assets/images/traffic-rls.png
[Photo: http://www.aerobus.com/ ]
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
This should give you some idea:
http://www.aerobus.com/

I suppose you could argue that it is a tourist attraction in its own right, and thus good for a tourist city. The views from the cabin are probably less-impeded than more normal monorails, but I would hardly call it any more beautiful than more conventional monorails.

Malacca's aerorail ready by 2012

MALACCA: Famous for its historic past, Malacca is set to make its mark on modern transportation in the region.

Come 2012, Southeast Asia's first elevated mass transportation system [:confused: Mod: So what are the various elevated railways dotted around the region?] (aero-rail) will ply a route from Ayer Keroh to the city centre.

The aerorail differs from a light rail transit (LRT) system and monorail in that the cars are suspended, rather than running on top of a track.

It was also cheaper to run as the electricity cost to run one cabin was only RM18 to RM25 per kilometre, said the managing director of Pyramid Express Sdn Bhd, the builder of the project, after the ground-breaking yesterday.

An LRT system costs RM50 to RM70 per kilometre, while the monorail costs RM25 to RM30, said Lim Sue Beng.

The RM1.4 billion aerorail will be built in two phases.

The first will be a 9.5km line, costing RM586 million, from the city council building in Ayer Keroh to Dataran Pahlawan in Bandar Hilir. It will have 10 stations.

The second phase, an 8.7km extension of the first, would be from the Ayer Keroh toll gate to the council building and would cost RM807 million.

The aerorail could travel at a speed of 80kph and would stop for two minutes at each station.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/2171748/Article/index_html

[GWR]

Aerorail quote further down in this article, although the adaptation of bridges to facilitate boat transport is also interesting in its own right:

Tuesday July 1, 2008
RM93m for upgrade of Malacca bridges
By CHEN PELF YEEN

MALACCA: The state will spend RM93mil to upgrade seven bridges under the Malacca River rehabilitation and beautification project.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the bridges were in the heart of the city and the upgrade was necessary to allow cruise boats to better navigate the river.

“The upgrade will also help reduce traffic congestion as river boats will be able to travel further upriver to Melaka Sentral,” he told reporters after officially opening the project at Hang Jebat bridge recently.


The project falls under phase four of the RM320mil Malacca River rehabilitation and beautification project and involves Hang Tuah bridge, Jalan Pasar bridge, Chan Koon Cheng bridge, Kampung Morten bridge, Bunga Raya bridge and Kim Seng Bridge.

He said that RM11mil would be used to upgrade Hang Jebat bridge and the project was scheduled for completion by early 2010.

Meanwhile, Mohd Ali said the state was seeking approval from the rail department for its proposed RM1.8bil aerorail to link the inner city and Ayer Keroh.

“The federal Economic Planning Unit has given its approval and we now have to get approval from the rail authorities,” he said, adding that the project was a private funded initiative by a local listed company.

The aerorail will cover 18.4km and see the development of ten 250-room 4-star hotels near ten stations along the route.

[GWR]

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/27/nation/20080127172420&sec=nation
See also thread on the rather 'fantasy' Bullet Train' project:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=1761

This report is rather unclear, but an included quote from Wikipedia (below main article) indicates that a connection to the KTMB mainline is intended:

2008/08/01
State eyes electric commuter train
By : Danutcha Chelliah

MALACCA: The state government has asked for a double-track railway line between Pulau Sebang and Melaka Raya under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
This is to enable an electric commuter train service to shuttle passengers between the two points.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the request had been made to Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) after an old railway track in Kampung Gangsa, Durian Tunggal, was found to be still functional.

Ali Rustam said the proposal to provide the rail service was to complement the state's transport facilities in view of the expected increase in local and foreign tourists by 2010.

He said a Transport Ministry official had briefed the state executive council recently on the double-tracking rail project from Seremban to Johor, entering via Pulau Sebang and through Batang Melaka.

The double-track railway line connecting train stations from Seremban to Johor Baru, will cover a distance of 94.14km and will cost RM3.45 billion.

"KTMB will also build two new modern stations in Pulau Sebang and Batang Melaka, to be completed by January 2011," he said after the launch of the state-level Hari Pahlawan remembrance campaign at Dataran Seri Negeri here yesterday.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2309161/Article/index_html


Pulau Sebang at Alor Gajah district, a town 30 km north of Malacca town, is the nearest train station that serves Malacca. There were railway tracks from Pulau Sebang to Malacca before World War II but were dismantled by the Japanese during the war for the construction of the infamous Burmese Death Railway. It was never rebuilt after the war though traces of the line remain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaka

Site with videos:
http://mrtv.mymalaya.com/
http://mrtv.mymalaya.com/tampin-melaka.htm

Google Earth Movie of route. This indicates that Batu Berendam Airport has been built across part of the route. It also shows that the city station would have to be resited because the original site has been greatly built over. Previous reports on this project have indicated that to be the case:
http://keretapi.mymalaya.com/melaka.wmv

Photos of what remains of the branch:
http://keretapi.mymalaya.com/categories.php?cat_id=128

And not forgetting the ever wonderful KTM RailwayFan.com:

http://www.ktmrailwayfan.com/forum/index.php

[GWR]

See previous post on raillink proposal

I suppose you could argue that it is a tourist attraction in its own right, and thus good for a tourist city. The views from the cabin are probably less-impeded than more normal monorails, but I would hardly call it any more beautiful than more conventional monorails.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/2171748/Article/index_html

August 04, 2008 21:04 PM
Melaka Awaits Ministry Nod To Build Aerorail System

MELAKA, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- The Melaka state government is still waiting for approval from the Transport Ministry to build its RM1.8 billion Aerorail urban mass transit system, the first in Malaysia and South-East Asia.

Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, said the ministry was currently studying the technical aspects of the project which would be a private sector project.

"The project has been agreed on based on policy and I hope it will be approved quickly," he said when asked by reporters at the state assembly here Monday.

Mohd Ali said the system, under construction in Beijing, was expected to be ready before the Olympics Games this Friday.

"However, it was delayed and will be completed next year. I had proposed to the developer, Pyramid Express Sdn Bhd, that it studies the suitability of the project in Beijing and in Melaka," he said.

He said the Aerorail would not only reduce traffic congestion and reduce air pollution but would help boost tourism where tourists arrivals were expected to reach eight million.

-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/