For subscribers
Asia needs to see high-speed rail as more than a megaproject
Rail projects must be approached simultaneously as a product that people choose to use and as a system that nations can sustain for 50 to 100 years.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Launched in 2023, Indonesia’s high-speed rail service is bleeding money due to massive construction debt, low passenger numbers and high operating costs.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Tai Cheong Chew
Follow topic:
High-speed rail (HSR) is having a moment across Asia. Vietnam is moving from debate to decisions. Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor is positioning HSR as the backbone for investment. Indonesia’s Jakarta-Bandung line has put full-speed services on the map, with conversations already under way about extending the corridor to Surabaya
Closer to home, Malaysia and Singapore are revisiting their HSR proposal. The original Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR deal was terminated in 2021, but the project remains a possibility with Malaysia taking a private sector-led, no government funding approach. Singapore remains open to a commercially viable proposal, focusing on broader connectivity.
