City, Jakarta Monorail closer to deal with Korean Maglev
City, Jakarta Monorail closer to deal with Korean Maglev
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta administration and consortium PT Jakarta Monorail are
moving closer to adopting magnetically elevated vehicles (Maglev)
developed by South Korea's rolling stock and train maker Rotem
Corporation, which claims to have more advanced technology than
the conventional monorail, and promises lower costs and better
safety standards.
"It (the Korean Maglev) is my personal preference....and PT
Jakarta Monorail agrees with my assessment," Governor Sutiyoso
said at City Hall on Monday.
Recalling his direct observation of the Rotem Urban Transit
Maglev last week, Sutiyoso said that he discovered that the
technology applied in Maglev was more advanced than the outdated
wheels-on-rails monorail technology, which he deemed "too costly
and complicated to maintain."
"I have directly observed that the (Maglev) technology is
relatively simpler than the conventional monorail and promises
higher safety standards" he asserted.
No details were immediately available on how much cheaper the
Maglev technology would be compared to Japan's Hitachi.
PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) has been handpicked to build and
operate the capital's US$650 million monorail project expected to
begin operation by the end of 2006.
Rotem's official website has made a comparison between Maglev
technology and the conventional monorail, indicating that
Maglev's operational costs could be categorized as "low level" as
compared to monorail's "medium level," while the construction
cost of both technologies is the same.
Rotem also says that Maglev trains could travel at a maximum
speed of 100 kilometers per hour and an average speed of 40 km
per hour, as compared to monorail's maximum speed of only 70 km
per hour and an average speed of 35 km per hour.
"There is no possibility of derailment or puncture in the
Maglev system since it uses a bogie structure that wraps around
the guideway," it says, ensuring that Maglev is much safer than
the conventional monorail.
Rotem, formerly Korea Rolling Stock Corp, was formed through
the merger of rollingstock units of three South Korean
conglomerates in 1999 -- Hundai, Daewoo and Hanjin Group.
Meanwhile, JM's president director Ruslan Diwirjo said that JM
and the administration would meet with Rotem in Singapore on
Tuesday (today) to seek details of the offer made by Rotem,
including the project cost.
"We have yet to reach any final decision over what technology
we will choose," Ruslan said.
Aside from Rotem, Ruslan said, a major company from the
People's Republic of China had also offered its monorail
technology.
"But, I think we will find it difficult to comply with the
company's request to participate in the development of the
monorail project since we already have developer Adhi Karya for
the project," he told The Jakarta Post.
The city administration expects JM to decide on the technology
it will adopt within two weeks.
Because of protracted problems shrouding the financing and
development of the 27-kilometer monorail, JM, which is supported
by local and foreign companies, will find it difficult to begin
operation by the end of 2006.
JM said that the monorail was expected to begin operation
early in 2007.