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Maglev last week, Sutiyoso said that he discovered that the technology applied in Maglev was more advanced than the outdated wheels-on-rails monorail technology, which he deemed "too costly and complicated to maintain."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.