Spain: Representatives from Southeast Asia Get to Know More About the Spanish Railway Sector
The Spanish Railway Association (MAFEX), as part of its plan to support internationalization, organizes, with the support of ICEX, a Reverse Conference on Southeast Asia, which will take place during March 10-15 in Spain.
This entrepreneurial meeting will involve senior charges from Transport Administrations and manager directors of the railways of Philippines, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as representatives of nearly 40 Spanish companies.
During the course of the conference, the foreign delegates will discuss the investment plans related to the railway sector within their countries, with the aim that the Spanish companies know firsthand the current situation of the transport infrastructure, as well as the actions to help modernize and expand communications. A direct way to identify the many opportunities for collaboration, provide a customized platform for companies to make a display market to show advanced technological solutions which in all rail subsectors can provide an optimal achievement of these programs.
Along with the two days of presentations, the foreign guests have a full schedule of meetings and interviews with over 20 individual meetings per delegate, with representatives of the Spanish railway industry.
The program is completed by a series of technical visits to the facilities of fifteen companies where international delegates will know more about the Spanish railway development, its scope and its know- how
Philippines: Light Rail projects and intermodal stations
Philippine authorities have approved, within the 2011-2016 Public Investment Plan, the allocation of €13,000 million for priority projects in transport. Of this amount, over 50 percent will be destined to upgrades and expansion of light rail and rail networks. With them, for example, the country wants to solve the current traffic congestion in the capital, Manila. This city plans works as the extension of LRT Line 1 (LRT L1), its junction with the Metro Rail Transit (MRT3), and the construction of the new MRT4, MRT8 branches or the connection of Ninoy Aquino International Airport to MRT 3 via a monorail and three intermodal terminals.
Among the most important projects is the "Northrail Project", with which you want to adapt the layout to the standard gauge with the construction of a double track, which aims to divert air traffic from Manila to Clark Airport, as well as the creation of several additional lines
Indonesia: Master Plan for the Expansion of Economic Development (2011-2025)
Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and the fourth largest population in the world. The recorded investment dynamism is reflected in recent times in the ambitious infrastructure programs that are included in the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (2011-2025).
Malaysia: Infrastructure Modernization with large investments
The Government has designed a plan to modernize the infrastructure that aims to upgrade public transport services. The plans to improve the track doubling and electrification networks on the West Coast of the country include the North-South branch, along with a significant investment in rolling stock for an increase in network capacity of the commuter network in Kuala Lumpur (KTM Commuter).
Also noteworthy is the expansion of LRT lines in 34 kilometres, as well as the launch of a "Master Plan", worth 12,000 million euros for the construction of three new light rail lines (Mass Rapid Transit) in the region of Klang Valley and the monorail in the city of Putrajaya, 25 kilometres from the capital. In the long term, the construction of a high speed line between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore is not excluded.
Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam: Priority destination for exports
Three other countries that form the business delegation visited by Spain are Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. All of them engaged in investment programs where the railroad is the big bet for improving mobility and internal connections.
In Thailand, the main objective of the government to strengthen the country's growth is to undertake a major modernization of infrastructure. For this, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has designed a master development plan (Railway Infrastructure Development Master Plan), which will be developed in three phases until 2024. In the first stage, with an investment of 4,205,000 euros, the work will focus on civil engineering, signalling, telecommunications, rolling stock and double track . Other planned projects are the monorail to transport containers to the port of Lat Krabang (ICD2), the expansion of the lines in Bangkok or the beginning of the high-speed network with four branches that join the capital city of Chiang Mai (711 km), Nong Khai (600 km), Chanthaburi (330 km ) and Padang Besar (983 km). A plan for which the estimated initial cost is €19,029.5 million.
We must also add the projects in Singapore, such as high-speed line, scheduled for 2020, which will connect Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Vietnam. In this country there are four major projects considered of special interest: the improvement of the North-South line, rail access to the international port of Haiphong and Nam Ho Tay-Ngoc Khanh-Hoa Lac-Ba Vi and Bien Hoa- Vung Tau lines, which will require an investment of 5,900 million euros.
MAFEX: A decisive boost to rail export
The Reverse Conference on South Asia organized by MAFEX seek to encourage cooperation and trade relations between the participants of these countries and the Spanish companies and boost their opportunities in this developing area. Through such meetings, MAFEX wants to continue its work to support and strengthen the internationalization of the Spanish railway industry
