OREANDA-NEWS. Singapore Rail Engineering Pte. Ltd. (SRE) and Toshiba Corporation have decided to setup a joint venture to market and supply propulsion systems using Toshiba’s Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) technology. The joint venture agreement was signed today at InnoTrans, the international transport technology trade fair taking place in Berlin this week. The new company will be called Railise Pte. Ltd.

Tests have confirmed that Toshiba’s PMSM technology will cut the power consumption of SMRT’s first generation trains by 30%. The technology is also maintenance friendly, and Toshiba is targeting noise level reductions of up to 12 dB.

Mr. Toshio Masaki, Senior Executive Vice President, Toshiba Corporation, noted, “This move sets the stage for working with SMRT and SRE to take our PMSM system into the global market. PMSM is a significant advance in train drive systems that cuts energy consumption and noise while minimizing maintenance downtime. Today’s agreement will allow us to work closely together to develop new markets for earth-friendly transportation.”

Incorporated in June 2014 as a wholly owned subsidiary of SMRT Corporation Ltd (S53.SG), SRE offers a full suite of products, solutions and services that aim to help mass transit operators run their network better. SRE operates under the founding principle that it will only market products and solutions that are validated and used by Singapore’s leading operator SMRT.

Mr. Mario Favaits, Managing Director of SRE, said, “We are excited that SMRT is relying on Railise to re-traction its first and second generation trains using PMSM technology. Through these projects, Railise will acquire unique systems integration skills allowing Singapore to develop an indigenous rail engineering capability. The first train is expected to hit the commercial tracks in Q2 2015 and from Q4 2015 onwards we will be looking at securing field trials abroad.”

Mr. Desmond Kuek, President and Group CEO, SMRT Corporation, said, “As Asian countries enlarge their rail networks to meet the urgent transportation needs of their rapidly growing urban populations, we see significant potential across the entire rail engineering value chain. Setting up SRE as an independent company positions SMRT favourably, both in terms of leading the growth of Singapore’s indigenous rail engineering capability to meet the needs of an expanding domestic rail network, and in seizing global market opportunities. Our partnership with Toshiba is an important step in this direction, and we are pleased to be able to work jointly to promote the PMSM system to operators. ”