A giant project

Kuala Lumpur, the Southeast Asian business hub in the west of Malaysia, is home to 1.6 million people. Its greater metropolitan region has a population of around eight million. And business is booming: IT companies, engineering companies, banks and a healthy financial industry have put down roots here. Tourism is reaching all-time highs in one of Asia’s hottest shopping locations. To cope with this growth and prevent gridlock, the city needs fast, safe and affordable public transport. Janne Saarinen, Director for 3rd Rail, is on it. He and his team develop electrical solutions for underground networks and suburban railways. “It is a small industry with good global connections, but competition is fierce. Large infrastructure contracts are hard to come by.”

The REHAU project team 3rd Rail is a compact, highly specialised unit that is passionate about its field. Endless air miles, different time zones, unfamiliar countries and cultures – for 3rd Rail, they are the rule rather than the exception. And that is exactly what makes their work so exciting. Independent, business-oriented thinking is indispensable: five to eight years can pass from the first inquiry to the offer, planning, implementation and initial operation. The fruit of the team’s hard labour is only reflected on the balance sheets years later. And public building projects are frequently delayed.

Janne Saarinen and his lead engineer, Udo Meinel, have transformed REHAU into a high-profile brand for underground systems and suburban railways. REHAU conductor rails with the “Made in Germany” quality mark are highly sought after. The company is currently electrifying 200 kilometres of conductor rails in Kuala Lumpur. Securing the project was a brilliant feat – and this is far from the only prestigious object REHAU is currently realising.