Railway export / 鉄道輸出

[quashlo]

Secondhand coaches to enter service in Malaysia in October
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5....php?id=602650

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) expects rail passengers and travellers to increase following the deployment of 14 used coaches from Japan in early October.

Its manager for rolling stock maintenance, Mahadi Aripin, said the coaches were still in very good condition and therefore, KTMB would not incur any expenses to refurbish the interior.

"For this donation project, KTMB only bears the cost of sea transportation of the coaches," he told reporters at the Japanese ambassador's residence here Wednesday.

He said the coaches would still have to be modified due to differences in technical standards between the Malaysian and Japanese rail systems but the total cost would be much lower as compared to buying new rolling stock of additional passenger coaches.

KTMB took delivery the train coaches donated by Japanese railway companies, Kyushu Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company, in December last year.

To ensure smooth operation of the used coaches, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be sending Japanese railway experts to train KTMB employers who will later be in charge of the coaches' operation.

The experts will also assist KTMB on technical aspects of the modification work as well as testing and commissioning of the coaches. Some KTMB employees will also undergo training programmes in Japan.

The Japanese used coaches are expected to be deployed in KTMB's 723.17km east coast sector between Johor Baharu and Tumpat in Kelantan.

[quashlo]

Ishikawa Malleable to construct additional plant to meet high-speed rail, auto market demand
http://www.toyama.hokkoku.co.jp/subp...0110720301.htm

Cast metal producer Ishikawa Malleable (HQ: Kahoku City) will construct an additional cast metal production plant for a subsidiary located in Suzhou, China. To deal with increased production of components for China’s high-speed railways and automobiles, the company will invest approx. ¥1 billion in construction of a new building inside the plant grounds. Production is slated to start in spring of next year, doubling the current capacity of its Chinese plant.

Ishikawa Malleable’s Chinese subsidiary is Suzhou Ishikawa Iron Manufacturing Co., Ltd. The new cast metal production plant will occupy a building floor area of 5,250 sq m, with a cast metal production capacity of 3,000 tons a month. This will be the company’s fourth local plant in China.

In late 2009, Ishikawa Malleable participated in China’s railway projects by winning orders for metal fittings used for rail ties on high-speed rail lines, and has been increasing its revenues in the Chinese market. The company has also been producing internal components for automobile engines, and decided to move forward with construction of an additional plant after forecasting market growth.

According to Ishikawa Malleable, accusations of corruption among top government officials have affected China’s high-speed rail projects, and the high-speed rail implementation plan has been delayed since March of this year.

Ishikawa Malleable president Shioya Tetsuo and Suzhou Ishikawa Iron Manufacturing Co., Ltd. chairman Shioya Toshi said, “Construction of high-speed rail projects has slowed somewhat, but demand will increase in the future. The quality of local manufacturers is also improving, and we hope to remain competitive by introducing more efficient machinery.”

[ukiyo]

Isn't Malaysia a middle income country? I don't understand why they should be given trains for free.

[quashlo]

Don't quote me on this, but I think this may actually save JR money (scrapping the car costs money), or at the very least not cost as much as you might think. The container transport is all paid for by the receiving country, as well. I also suspect JR may get a little bit of money out of it to do conversions / rehab as requested by the receiving country.

[SamuraiBlue]

It also provides a chance for the train manufacturers to showcase their product to new emerging economies.
With this Japan has a foothold to Malaysia's Transport authorities for future talks in developing new transportation infrastructure projects.

[TWK90]

The donated passenger coaches from Japan will be deployed on the East Coast line from Johor Bahru (near Singapore) to Tumpat (not far from Thai border), which is predominantly rural and mostly single track.

Usually, older equipments such as rolling stocks and locomotives deployed on this line, while newer, higher powered/ capacity locomotives are deployed on west coast line which stretches from Padang Besar (near to Thai border) to Woodlands (Singapore). The west coast line, is more modern than the east coast as significant parts of the line has been double tracked and electrified, hence brand new rolling stocks (and EMUs) usually deployed on this line.

About Japanese participation in Malaysian railway sector, actually...it is nothing new. Malayan Railway (KTMB) bought diesel locomotives from Japan in 1960's and 1980's. On the EMUs, Japanese participation are mainly in supplying electrical components on some EMU class which are built by Hyundai Rotem.

For example, the electrical/ traction component Class 83 EMUs (electric commuter train) built in 1990's is supplied by Mitsubishi Electric. Same goes the traction component of the newer ETS which is long distance electric train service, also supplied by Mitsubishi Electric, introduced last year.

Japanese government loans were obtained to cover part of the cost for projects such as the Klang Valley electrified double tracking project in 1990's and the Rawang-Ipoh electrified double tracking projects.

Recent double tracking projects such as Ipoh-Padang Besar and Seremban-Gemas were all locally funded.

[ukiyo]

Ok when you guys put it like that it makes sense. I was thinking people sell their used cars even if it's cheap so the rail company should be able to sell their old trains even for really cheap but maybe it's not even worth all the hastle.

[quashlo]

Hitachi to establish new rolling stock maintenance, production facilities in UK
http://www.nikkei.com/tech/news/arti...EBE2E2E2E2E2E2

Related to the high-speed railway project with which Hitachi is entering into final negotiations with the British government, Hitachi has revealed plans to invest approx. ¥10 billion to construct four to five new local rolling stock maintenance hubs, as well as another approx. ¥10 billion into a rolling stock production plant slated to be constructed. Hitachi will prepare a structure to handle everything from railcar production to maintenance in the UK, with the aim of putting pressure on Germany’s Siemens and France’s Alstom, which posses a high share of the European railway market.

Hitachi currently has a maintenance hub in Ashford in southeast England serving rolling stock exported from Japan. Together with the local production of trains, the company will invest another ¥10 billion to construct four to five new hubs. Business negotiations regarding rolling stock have become the scene of fierce competition to win orders, and a company’s maintenance work structure can be the key to winning contracts. Hitachi will strengthen its maintenance work structure with an eye towards winning more orders in the UK.

At the rolling stock production facility to be constructed in Newtown Aycliffe in northeastern England by 2013, Hitachi will employ approx. 500 employees, producing a cumulative total of 500 cars through to 2018. Up until now, the company has not revealed the scale of its investment for this work.

Hitachi is also aiming to expand orders on the European mainland, with the UK as its base. The company sees northern Europe as its target market, and will now expand localization of component procurement while keeping an eye on rolling stock upgrade plans and bidding requirements throughout the region. The company has already begun narrowing down a list of firms in Eastern Europe and other areas as possible business partners.

FY2010 revenues in Hitachi’s railway-related business was ¥133.1 billion. By FY2015, the company will increase this to ¥320 billion, increasing the share of revenues from overseas markets from 24% to 70%.

According to UNIFE, the worldwide railway market (including infrastructure such as tracks) was valued at approx. ¥16 trillion annually (on average) between 2005 and 2007, but this is forecasted to expand to ¥20 trillion annually in FY2016. The drivers of this growth are emerging nations, but some level of demand can also be expected from upgrades to aging trains in Europe and other areas.

[ukiyo]

I wonder if Hitachi can succesfully compete with the europeans on their own ground!

[dumbfword]

I think Central and Eastern Europe is gonna be the best bet. Since Germany, Spain, France, and Switzerland all have dominant rolling stock manufacturers.

Bombardier did win some contracts in Germany and France. But most of it's rolling stock business are former European companies still based in Europe.

[Momo1435]

The HQ of Bombardier Transportation is Berlin Germany, it's basically a European company.
http://www.bombardier.com/en/transpo...transportation


If Hitachi or any other Japanese manufacturer wants to break fully into the European market they should make "European trains" with Japanese quality. To do this they have to know all the ins and outs of the market, something that can only be achieved by actually selling trains in Europe or buying the knowledge like Bombardier did. The huge order for the UK is a start but it doesn't mean that is the definite entry into the European market. With all the established manufactures it will be hard, but there's always room for competition.

[quashlo]

JICA agrees to fund Delhi Metro Phase 3
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Japan-...e1-725133.aspx

The impasse over the sanctioning of a soft loan for Delhi Metro's phase 3 project is finally over. Japan, which was recently hit by disaster, will release the first instalment of the proposed loan for the 105km project in December. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is all set
to fund Delhi Metro's upcoming Rs32,000 crore project as it has almost completed all requisite formalities.

"We are near the end of the appraisal process of the official request received from India's finance ministry about sanctioning of loan for Delhi Metro's phase 3. In December, we will be able to sanction the first part of the loan through signing of an agreement between India's finance ministry and the Japan government," Yuichiro Sano, representative, JICA.

Ministry of Finance, which will take the loan, will hand over the amount to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), he added.

"We are yet to receive any final communication from JICA about the sanctioning of the loan amount. If JICA sanctions the soft loan, the financial crunch for the project will reduce extensively," said a DMRC spokesperson.

On April 26, a JICA team had met Delhi Metro directors at Metro Bhawan to discuss the project's modalities of funding and loan requirements.

Delhi Metro had proposed a debt equity ratio of 60:40 under which the Centre and the Delhi governments will contribute 30% each and the rest will be raised by soft loans from JICA, said sources.

"The loan will be sanctioned at 1.40% rate of interest to be repaid in 30 years with a grace period of 10 years," said Sano. Earlier, JICA had given a soft loan to Delhi Metro at different rates of interest varying between 1.2% to 2.3% in phases 1 and 2. Appreciating the sustainability of the relationship between India and Japan for Metro projects, he added: "We have been supporting the Delhi metro project for the past 15 years. It seems out commitment is reducing as Delhi Metro's demand for monetary support is reducing."

In the first phase, JICA had given Delhi Metro 60% of the R10,571 crore project cost, while in the second phase the metro had received 55% of R19,600 crore from JICA. In phase 3 DMRC has asked for only 40% of about R32,000 crore, said JICA officials.

The phase 3 project has already got clearances from the state and the Centre and both the governments have made budgetary provisions to meet the initial cost.

[quashlo]

JICA offers soft loan, cooperation to Karachi Circular Railway
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...4-7-2011_pg5_3

KARACHI: Offering soft loan and cooperation to Karachi Circular Railway, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has laid emphasis on the removal of encroachments on roadsides to improve the flow of traffic.

Team leader JICA Minoru Shibuya shared these suggestions while presenting Karachi Transport Improvement Project report to the Technical Committee, Karachi Mass Transit Cell (KMTC) Saturday.

With regard to Karachi Transport Improvement Project, JICA had started a survey in April 2010.

Director General KMTC Rasheed Mughal, team leader JICA Minoru Shibuya and representatives of DHA, Pakistan Railways, Port Qasim Authority, Traffic police, Finance Department Sindh, Transport Department Sindh and other concerned officials were present.

Mughal said the World Bank, with the cooperation of Japan, Government of Pakistan and Sindh Government, initiated Urban Transport Master Plan 2030. He informed 56 percent of the population here travels by those transports which are inadequate for them and are also in poor physical state.

[quashlo]

Hitachi pitches second monorail line for Singapore
The Straits Times

Hitachi, the company that built the Sentosa monorail system, is proposing a similar system for Marina Bay.

The area, planned with fewer parking spaces to encourage the use of public transport, will eventually be served by five MRT lines.

Hitachi, which has supplied over 400 trains for 10 monorail systems in mainly Japanese cities, contends that a monorail is suitable for Marina Bay, and can double as a feeder to MRT stations there.

The Japanese company has made presentations to the Singapore Tourism Board, and will also meet the Urban Redevelopment Authority and Land Transport Authority (LTA) soon.

Hitachi Asia’s division general manager Jimmy Song said: “There’s a misconception that monorail is only good for theme parks. But actually, it’s a workable urban-transport solution.”

The system Hitachi has in mind, following a feasibility study, is a 5.8 km line with eight stops. It will link places like the Marina Barrage, the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, the upcoming cruise centre, the new financial district, the future seafront residential enclave and Gardens by the Bay.

Hitachi said that if such a system, estimated to cost around US$200 million (S$242 million), is commissioned this year, it could be up and running by 2013. It expects ridership to start off at 3.3 million a year, and build up to 6.7 million by 2020.

The 7.8 km Bukit Panjang LRT system has a ridership of 17 million a year.

Mr Song said: “Unlike trams, monorail does not compete for road space. A monorail takes up air space. And the track is slimmer than an LRT track, so it costs less to build and is less intrusive.”

But therein lies the downside of monorail systems, say transport specialists.

Mr Rajan Krishnan, senior vice-president (Asia) of engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff, pointed out that because monorail systems run on single tracks, their carriages cannot be too broad or too heavy. This limits their passenger capacity.

The former LTA director of projects said monorail is more suitable in places where the passenger load is light, such as in Las Vegas or Sentosa.

“The demand can’t be too high and the distance can’t be too long,” he said. The proposed 5.8 km length of Hitachi’s Marina Bay line seems reasonable, but it really boils down to passenger load, he added.

Others point out that while a monorail may be about 50 per cent cheaper than say, an LRT system on a per-kilometre basis, an LRT system can have twice the carrying capacity.

Hitachi is not the only vendor that has suggested new transit options for Singapore. Companies like Bombardier and Alstom have proposed trams to ply areas such as Orchard Road and Marina Bay, but the LTA’s reception was lukewarm on the back of safety concerns for other vehicles and pedestrians.

Those working in the area welcome the possibility of a monorail. Said stock analyst John Rachmat: “I think this is a great idea. It will certainly make Singapore more liveable.”

Transit operator SMRT said there are pros and cons to each mode of travel. Its spokesman said: “Operationally, it’s possible to run LRT, tram or feeder buses to make commuting in the area seamless, although implementing a monorail or LRT system would take a longer time.

“The decision of what mode to employ would depend on when the developments are ready for use and how soon commuters need the connection to the various attractions around Marina Bay.”

Meanwhile, Mr Song acknowledged the Sentosa monorail could be improved. Complaints include its slowness, the long queues and having only three stops. Hitachi said it is in talks with Sentosa’s management on how the monorail can carry more people without major changes to the system.

[quashlo]

Hitachi to meet Tamil Nadu officials on Chennai monorail proposal
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wir...ct_569343.html

Chennai, Jul 26 (PTI) Top officials of diversified Japanese group Hitachi Ltd would soon meet senior government officials in Tamil Nadu as part of offering their technology for the state government''s mono-rail project.

A delegation led by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Director General Shinya Fujii would meet the officials explaining benefits of mono-rail compared to metro-rail, Hitachi Ltd, Global Rail Business Development Division General Manager, Yoshitaka Hirabaya, told reporters here.

"We are having more than five decades of experience in mono-rail. We are supported by Mitsubishi Corporation, (Japan) who fund our projects. We offer the technology and they provide the funding," he said.

The mono-rail system requires only short "time period" for construction and was "economical" to build, thereby saving 30 per cent on the costs involved, he said.

He said an eight compartment mono-rail can carry 62,400 people per hour per direction (pphpd).

The officials were here to participate in a seminar organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tamil Nadu Guidance Bureau.

In his address to the State Assembly last month, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala had said the government would implement a Mono rail project in Chennai to integrate it with the existing transport system.

In the first phase, 111 km would be covered under this project and in a phased manner it would cover 300 km.

This follows on the heels of the Marina Bay proposal in Singapore… Good.

[quashlo]

Japan keen to develop Thailand high-speed rail service
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...d-rail-service

Japan is interested in developing a 230 billion baht high-speed train service from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Rayong, says Supoj Saplom, permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry

Mr Supoj said he had learned about the interest at a meeting yesterday with Akira Yonezawa, deputy director-general for engineering affairs at Japan's Railway Bureau. The full line would be more than 800km long, he was told. The two met a day after a high-speed train accident in China that killed 35 people.

Mr Supoj said Japan was highly experienced in high-speed railways and its bullet trains had never had an accident.

In China a lightning strike caused a power outage that brought to a halt a high-speed train on an elevated track in the city of Wenzhou. Then another high-speed train smashed into the stalled one from behind, killing at least 38 people.

Thai transport and engineering authorities said they did not think a similar accident could occur here due to the Kingdom's higher safety standards.

…

There was a Japanese language article about this earlier… I’ll see if I can translate it later.

[quashlo]

Kawasaki says Wenzhou crash won’t affect Shinkansen exports
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20110726D26JFA08.htm

KOBE (Nikkei)--Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.'s (7012) business of exporting trains is unlikely to be affected by the recent high-speed train crash in China, Chairman Tadaharu Ohashi said Tuesday.

The train cars involved in Saturday's deadly accident were manufactured based on technology supplied by foreign firms, including Kawasaki Heavy's technologies for its Hayate shinkansen bullet train.

"Although the cause (of the crash) is unknown at present, I don't think that it will affect our company," Ohashi told reporters in Kobe.

The remark is the first public comment on the crash by a senior executive at the train manufacturer.

Ohashi noted that China is in the midst of a change in leadership, so that could be a factor behind the delay in launching an investigation of the accident.

"I believe that the truth will come out over time, so for now we'll closely watch the developments," he said.

Kawasaki Heavy is trying to determine where Japanese technologies were used in China's new high-speed trains.

[ukiyo]

I am curious...that loan to India seems to be a bad investment (from japanese tax payers perspective). The interest seems way to low (it won't make up for the inflation) and the grace period too long...in other words by the time it is paid back they will lose money won't they? It might as well just be a grant (BTW I have absolutely no problem with financial aid! Don't get me wrong, it's just I am sure that loan to India is supposed to be business and not aid).

I hope a japanese company wins that project..cause I know of another "investment" in India that was funded by japan but Korean company won

[quashlo]

Which one?

[ukiyo]

The "JICA agrees to fund Delhi Metro Phase 3"