The Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) will ensure that ticket prices for the proposed high-speed rail (HSR) link between Malaysia and Singapore will remain affordable for the public while balancing the need for sustainable operability.

“The long-term benefits of the HSR project for Malaysia are clear and undeniable, hence the government is very committed to implementing the right policies which are for the betterment of the rakyat,” Spad chairperson Syed Hamid Albar said in a statement today in response to a Moody’s report on the project.

Moody's was reported to have said that “if the ticket costs as much as a plane ticket to Kuala Lumpur, there might not be much of an impact”.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong formally agreed last month to build the HSR link, which is expected to cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and the city-state to 90 minutes.

A 2020 deadline has been set for the completion of the government-supported rail line.

To Moody’s apparent scepticism on the viability of the project, based on information that is publicly available today contained in the report, Syed Hamid said the consultant appointed by Spad is currently in the midst of finalising its feasibility study on the project.

“The study evaluates the viability of the project from a technical and financial perspective, including the project economics, and its broader socio-economic impact,” he said.

The detailed analysis has been performed with a large amount of information gathered from primary sources, on-ground surveys and feedback from relevant authorities.

Syed Hamid said Spad, which was given the task to spearhead the HSR project, will be working closely with its Singaporean counterpart to discuss matters which would impact both countries, including those highlighted by the Moody’s analyst.

- Bernama