Malaysia to invest another RM 160 bill on rail development : Najib

(NST) – Malaysia expects to invest another RM160 billion on rail development by 2020, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

Since 1990, Najib said, the government had invested more than RM50 billion on rail networks and related projects.

Once a dying industry, he said, railroads have made a strong comeback due to their inherent efficiency, whether in terms of land usage, fuel consumption and transportation costs. 

“In an era of scarcity and pressure on costs, there has been and will be a growing focus on efficiency, which plays to the strength of rail. 

“There is also realisation that railways don’t just move people and goods but they also also generate and spread prosperity, create jobs, open new markets and support economic growth,” he said when launching the Rail Business Asia Conference 2013 here.