Regarded as one of the world’s leading railway operators in the world, the MTR Corporation made its presence felt at AusRAIL, with its booth a popular stop for visitors wanting to know more about the business which oversees rail networks in nine cities across Asia, Australia and Europe.
And attending the conference for the first time, MTR Chief Executive Officer – Australian Business, Raymond Yuen, said he was excited about the company’s performance as it enters its 15th year in operation.
Yuen said AusRAIL provided a platform for him to further connect with the rail sector stakeholders and let them know more about the project successes enjoyed by MTR.
“MTR is still very new to in Australia, although we have been in existence close to 15 years. We prefer to be quiet achievers, always working hard behind the scenes,” he said.
“But of course we need to promote MTR as a very reliable operator which delivers, so that’s why I think as we step into this anniversary, we are aiming to engage the community more, to highlight contributions from MTR in the Australian market.”
The Australian subsidiary, MTR Australia, is currently delivering the Trains, Signalling, Maintenance and Operations package for Sydney Metro City and Southwest, while it is also the major shareholder of the operating companies for the Melbourne Metro rail network and Sydney Metro Northwest.
Yuen said having a space at AusRAIL was also an acknowledgement of the good work done by MTR teams in the country.
“For example, we’re very happy with progress on the Sydney Metro and Southwest project,” he said.
When complete, the new track will form part of a single 66-km rail line on the Sydney Metro network.
“My team has been working very hard to make sure that we can deliver this project to run the trains under Sydney Harbour,” he said.
“And since we took over Melbourne Metro in 2009, there has been a significant improvement in operational performance, as well as customer satisfaction.
“We’re also very proud to have been a part of the team constructing the first driverless metro in Australia, the Sydney Metro Northwest.
“So in this landmark year, it is an opportune time to celebrate our good work.”
Yuen said MTR had an exceptional track record and was always happy to work in partnership with cities looking for a metro partner.
He said the success of the UK’s Elizabeth Line was a prime example of MTR’s success and experience.
“We provide assurance or confidence that we can supply the knowledge needed for opening new lines. What are the key steps? What are the key considerations? How can we integrate all the intelligence of our presence around the world and get together to make a contribution to the market?”
And this deep bank of expertise was a main reason why MTR’s star continues to rise.
“Everything usually starts with a consultancy. We demonstrate our capability and sometimes when there is a big franchise involved, MTR is invited to participate,” he said.
“We have established ourselves in Hong Kong, but we know we still need to demonstrate our abilities elsewhere that we can deliver world-class metros.”
Yuen elaborated on MTR’s “Rail plus Property” (R+P) infrastructure-building business model, in which governments provide MTR with land “development rights” at stations or depots along the route.
MTR pays the government a land premium based on the land’s market value without the railway, after which it builds the new rail line and partners with private developers to build properties.
“In Australia, in order to build a world class city, we need definitely need world-class infrastructure,” Yuen said.
“But there’s a lot of infrastructure; not only transport, not only the railroad, there are also sectors such as roads, hospitals and energy, and they’re competing with the same pool of capital, financially or human.
“The R+P model can help the Australian market to maintain that kind of healthy infrastructure investment in transport but at the same time also put more resources into housing.
“In the big cities around Australia, housing is a big priority. The challenge is how we can integrate this, how things apply together with the transport infrastructure.
“With the model, we can enjoy world class transfer infrastructure, but at the same time turn housing supply into more affordable housing.
“The model has been very successful in Hong Kong and we always invite people to go there to understand how the model works.”