KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) plans to complete Phase 2A of the High-Speed Rail System (HSR) connecting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore this year, which includes government-to-government engagement and agreement with Singapore.

The phase also entails technical surveys, socio-economic analysis on the five HSR stations, environmental analysis along the track alignment as well as setting up a dedicated HSR team, Bernama news agency reported.

The details of the project was contained in the Economic Transformation Programme 2013 Annual Report released on Monday by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu).

Bernama reported that the Economic Council approved for SPAD to proceed with Phase 2A of the project, set to be South-east Asia's first high-speed rail track.

The report said that in June 2013, SPAD presented results of the Phase 1B Feasibility Study to the Economic Council, which gave positive feedback.

The study included an economic benefit analysis and a strategic implementation plan, and also identified the required technical and engineering components for the project, according to Bernama.

The HSR project would shorten the rail journey to 2-2.5 hours and is estimated to have 400,000 daily commuters once the rail is operational, said the report.

The five HSR stations reportedly include Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Malaysia.