Industry Centre of Excellent for Railway (ICOE-REL)

In line with the global transformation of rail transport, the rail sector in Malaysia is also very rapidly developing as contained in the Land Public Transport Master Plan (NLPTMP). Mega projects like High Speed Rail (HSR) and East Coast Rail Route (ECRL), increased infrastructure and Light Rail Transit (LRT) services , Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), KTM Commuter, Express Rail Link (ERL), Electric Train Service (ETS) KTM, Monorail, Fast Transit System (RTS) Malaysia-Singapore, and Inter-city Rails involved many parties like Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, MyHSR, KTMB, MRL, ERL Sdn. Bhd., SPAD, SCOMI, MiGHT, TDA, MRT Corp., Global Rail and CMC Engineering and etc.

As noted in ’Malaysian Rail Supporting Industry Roadmap 2030’ issued by Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), the outburst of the rail transport industry needs now requires extensive engagement from rail, research and training centers and academia to help the country provide local expertise and reduce dependence on external expertise.

So far there has not been a center in Malaysia which is a reference knowledge, training and research in the field of rail transport, although some have tried to establish it in their respective organizations. Recognizing this, the Ministry of Higher Education took the initiative to create ICoE-Rel in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Human Resources.

The result of “Discussion on the Proposed Establishment of Center of Excellence For Railway Industry” chaired by YBhg. Datuk Nik Ali bin Mat Yunus Deputy Secretary General (Development) on 6th March 2017 at the Ministry of Higher Education (MOE) has chosen UTHM as the Center for Excellence in Rail Industry. This is because only UTHM has an existing rail transport academic program and related expertise.

MOTTO

•  Centre of Excellence for Railway Technology and Management
• To serve as a platform for establishing collaborative research at National Rail Center of Excellence (NRCOE)

RESEARCH INTEREST

• To assist the development of human capital for the rapid expansion of the
  Malaysian railway industry in line with the global transformation of rail
  transport
• To manage railway expertise and the transfer of knowledge in the field of
  railway among academia, government agencies and industries
• To serve as a platform for establishing collaborative research at national and
  international levels

Activities

• Industrial visits and meetings
• benchmarking with UPSI
• Appointed as the Southern TVET Collaboration Hub for Rail Industries
• Industrial Collaborations
• academics collaborations