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Independent Singapore
26-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
SMRT business arm Stellar Lifestyle calls on start-ups for smarter retail and advertising concepts in train stations
SINGAPORE: Stellar Lifestyle, the business arm of SMRT, has launched the third edition of its retail and ad-tech accelerator programme, Stellarate 3.0, in collaboration with Japan Rail East (JRE) Ventures, the investment arm of Japan's largest passenger railway operator JR East. The programme calls on start-ups with tech-enabled ideas to reimagine advertising, retail, and food and beverage (F&B) concepts in train stations, the company announced on Monday (May 26). Companies and start-ups worldwide with a gross turnover of at least S$120,000 in 2024 and a paid-up capital of S$50,000 can apply at from May 26 to June 30, 2025. A S$109 submission fee applies, but the winners will be fully refunded. This year, Stellarate 3.0 is looking for smart, practical solutions that: Provide insights from Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising to show what drives sales. Use real-time local data to boost sales for merchants and advertisers within the train network. Help F&B and retail outlets improve productivity and operate with fewer staff through the use of technology. Make it easier for commuters to find and engage with brands and merchants within the transit network. Up to four winning start-ups will receive grants from a total pool of over S$130,000 and opportunities to pilot their ideas within SMRT's transit retail merchant ecosystem and in the Japanese transit retail market. To support the winning start-ups' growth plans and productivity, UOB will waive their annual and facility fees for financing support for the first two years, provide access to profiling opportunities and new connections, and offer complimentary advice on optimising business operations through digital transformation. Winners will also receive up to S$10,000 in exclusive credits to use under UOB's BizSmart programme, which offers tailored digital solutions to boost efficiency and growth. In addition, Stellarate has formed a strategic partnership with Singapore Management University's Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SMU IIE). Start-ups chosen by Stellarate gain access to a dedicated incubation space and mentorship from industry pioneers, faculty advisors, and global venture capitalists through SMU IIE's flagship Business Innovations Generator (BIG) programme. To date, BIG has supported over 560 start-ups that have raised more than S$740 million collectively. See also Neo Kian Hong elected as chairman of Singapore Golf Association Stellar Lifestyle President Tony Heng said, 'Stellarate 3.0 reflects our unwavering commitment to shaping the future of transit retail and supporting SMEs (small and medium enterprises) through open innovation. By co-creating with start-ups, tech enablers, and forward-thinking brands, we are not only enhancing commuter experiences but also unlocking new value across the retail and media ecosystems. These collaborations bring to life real-world solutions with scalable potential—both in Singapore and regionally. Through Stellarate 3.0, we empower SMEs to grow and innovate, unlocking new opportunities, fuelling economic vibrancy, and reshaping the business landscape.' Since its launch two years ago, Stellarate has received strong interest from innovators, with over 150 start-up ideas submitted, including robotic retail concepts and data-driven video technologies. One of last year's winners, UNISTOP, has doubled its room-sized vending machines in Singapore from five to 10. Each machine uses a robotic arm to pick purchased items from shelves. The start-up is also planning to expand overseas to countries like Australia, Japan, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. /TISG See also PM Lee on living with Covid-19: "Our biggest priority is jobs" Read also: 22,000 global leaders to join ATxEnterprise 2025 in Singapore as Southeast Asia's ramps up AI and space innovation
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Singapore's ComfortDelGro will bid for Melbourne's rail line as it takes its public transport model global
ComfortDelGro, which operates Singapore's Northeast and Downtown lines, is partnering with East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and UGL to form the Melbourne One Rail Consortium to bid for the Melbourne Metropolitan train network sometime next year, when regulators open the tender. 'The bidding team marries world-class Japanese and Singaporean customer service and efficiencies with UGL's local asset management and operational expertise,' the consortium said in a statement. The group is backed by the Japanese general trading and investment conglomerate, Marubeni Corporation. The line's current operator is Hong Kong's MTR, working with John Holland Group and UGL, in a contract that expires in 2027. Melbourne's metropolitan network has 17 lines covering 402 kilometers and 222 stations and is Australia's largest suburban rail network. It generates about 2 billion Singapore dollars ($1.54 billion) in annual revenue, ComfortDelGro CEO Cheng Siak Kian estimated in an interview with Fortune. ComfortDelGro's share of that revenue will depend on the joint venture contract, but it would still be a significant boost to the company's finances. The company reported revenue of 1.17 billion Singapore dollars ($903 million) for the quarter ending March, with 52.6% of that revenue coming from outside of Singapore. Australia revenue reached 203 million Singapore dollars ($156 million). If ComfortDelGro's bid is successful, it'd be the second rail network taken from its Hong Kong competitor. Last year, ComfortDelGro won the bid to operate Stockholm's metro from MTR, which had run the Swedish city's trains since 2009. (MTR also recently lost a contract to operate London's Elizabeth Line to Tokyo Metro). Cheng chalked up the company's wins against MTR to fortunate timing. Rail contracts normally span at least seven years, and Cheng said ComfortDelGro now has enough rail experience to make big global bids right as contracts are starting to expire. MTR has operated Melbourne's line for over 10 years, and Stockholm's for over 14 years by the time ComfortDelGro takes over at the end of the year. 'Ten to 14 years ago we were not even in the position to bid for this contract,' Cheng said. 'It's just an evolution of time where you gain expertise, and then you work with the right partners to be able to challenge for those contracts.' ComfortDelGro's expertise is in reliably operating driverless metro trains. The company's two lines, the Northeast line and the Downtown line are the city's most reliable, with the highest Mean Kilometers Between Failure (MBKF) among the five lines where data exists. (Singapore's most recent line, the Thomson-East Coast line operated by SMRT, is still too new to have reliability data) Cheng credited high expectations by Singapore's consumers for forcing the company to constantly improve its reliability. ComfortDelGro does not own the real estate in or around its stations, a significant source of revenue for other rail operators like MTR or JR East. Instead, ComfortDelGro generates revenue from a fixed fee regulators pay it to operate the rail network that is tied closely to rail reliability and customer satisfaction, meaning the company must ensure breakdowns are rare to preserve its thin margins. 'We are very focused on operating the system well, and that's where it gives us the advantage,' Cheng said. The Melbourne bid is part of ComfortDelGro's strategy to leverage its experience in three different kinds of transport. In addition to its Australian operations, ComfortDelGro also operates bus and taxi services in the UK, as well as taxis and private-hire cars in mainland China. It will also operate rail services in Paris later this year. Cheng hoped ComfortDelGro's broad experience will help the company keep bidding to expand its presence in its existing markets. 'The advantage of growing in that manner is a lot of familiarity, both with regulators and the brand name, so that's what we will try to do,' he said. If ComfortDelGro's Melbourne bid is successful, the company will finally operate rail, bus, and taxi services in Australia, allowing it to replicate the multi-modal model it has in Singapore. Cheng wants to recreate this model beyond Singapore and Australia. 'Where it's suitable, where it's viable, we will do so,' he said. ComfortDelGro will likely look to expand its presence in existing markets first, or in adjacent markets. 'We are quite deliberate about where we are expanding to. We need to understand the revenue model, the regulatory environment, and what is the rule of law,' Cheng said. But that won't stop the company from 'going to cities where we don't have a presence yet,' he adds. This story was originally featured on
Japan Times
23-05-2025
- Japan Times
Tokyo's Yamanote Line resumes suspended train operations
All services on East Japan Railway's busy Yamanote Line in Tokyo were suspended Friday morning due to wire trouble, before being resumed later in the day. The inner loop service, in which trains run counterclockwise, resumed operations at around 7 a.m., while the outer loop service, which operates clockwise, resumed services around 8:25 a.m. But the number of trains was reduced, affecting some 197,000 passengers. According to JR East, a Yamanote Line train conductor reported Thursday night that sparks were seen flying from a pantograph. In response, JR East conducted an inspection and found abnormalities in 21 of the 50 Yamanote Line trains. The company stopped the outer circle service from around 9:50 p.m. until the last train of the day. During the restoration work, JR East discovered that an auxiliary overhead wire was broken near Shinbashi Station. Shinagawa Station was crowded with passengers Friday morning due to the train suspensions. A 30-year-old company worker was worried he might not arrive on time for work in the Shinjuku district. A mother, 42, was rushing to get her 5-year-old daughter to a meeting point for a kindergarten excursion. "I want to hurry because my daughter gets unwell in crowded places," she said, adding that she plans to use JR East's Keihin-Tohoku Line instead.
