Big win for SMH Rail in $85m Mumbai monorail project
Kuala Lumpur, 22 April 2022 — SMH Rail Sdn Bhd, has expanded its exportability with the award by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to deliver 40 Monorail Cars to boost connectivity and better services for their commuters.
A joint venture project between SMH Rail, a leading Malaysian railway engineering company and Medha Servo based in Hyderabad, India is worth $85 million. The contract commissioning for the additional 10 sets of 4 cars includes design, manufacture, supply, and testing with expected completion within the next 2 years.
MMRDA expects the procurement of the additional cars to improve the frequency of its monorail services and ridership.
With the introduction of 40 Cars, a five-minute headway can be achieved and subsequently resulting in an increase in ridership.
Innovation in engineering and technology is built in the design of the cars, as coaches will be lighter, decreased load on the guide way and piers, and an increased 10% carrying capacity of the coaches.
Apart from enhancing its operational efficiency, the projected surge in ridership will positively strengthen MMRDA’s financial standing.
SMH Rail and Medha Servo both share similarities in their commitment towards providing transport solutions that are exceptional, sustainable, innovative and people-driven, which is visible in their credentials and extensive experience.
SMH Rail is Malaysia’s leading locomotive manufacturer known for its global accolades and notable collaborations such as Siemens AG and Hyundai-Rotem Company while Medha Servo is recognised for its product range, domain knowledge, design expertise, and manufacturing capabilities of high-tech electronics products.
Dr Sharoul Jambari, CEO of Technology Depository Agency says the emergence of SMH Rail as global player is the result from the Government of Malaysia’s procurement policy of Industrial Collaboration Program (ICP), championed by TDA under the purview of Ministry of Finance Malaysia.
“The ICP which forms part of the contractual requirement in the procurement of Government related projects aims at developing local industry capability and talent by leveraging on opportunities to compete in the global supply chain.”
With close cooperation and monitoring by TDA, SMH Rail has successfully became ICP Recipient (beneficiary) that received technology/technical know-how and capacity as well as capability development by the international OEM partners.
These have later translated into successful manufacturing and delivery of 428 cars under the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) projects for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) and Sungai Buloh- Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) lines. Both projects were delivered ahead of schedule.
The strategic collaboration with the TDA was instrumental for SMH’s success as an ICP beneficiary that received technology transfer and dynamic capabilities development alongside their international OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners.
Through the ICP platform, SMH Rail was able to expand its supply chain base which included more than 100 local vendor companies to provide services and supply of parts.
The Mumbai Monorail project demonstrates the successful implementation of the ICP that provided leverage for SMH Rail to expand its exportability by offering a level playing field in the rapidly growing global rail transport market.