The construction plans of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) is now well under way.

The HSR aims to enhance connectivity by lessening the time taken to travel between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes. The legally binding bilateral agreement was signed on Dec. 13, 2016, and the expected year of the project's completion is 2026.

The 350km rail connection will feature eight stations in total -- seven in Malaysia, and one in Jurong East, Singapore.

Look and feel of Malaysian stations

On Oct. 17, Malaysian Prime Minister M Najib Razak announced the "look and feel" of the grand project, saying that he has ensured that the design is a "dynamic reflection of Malaysia's rich heritage and cultural diversity".

According to Najib, the design of the seven Malaysian stations of the HSR will "highlight each city's unique elements", "provide prominence to creativity and innovation", and "[retain] strong reflections of Malaysia's identity and heritage".

Designs of the seven stations in Malaysia

These designs have "[taken] the approach of a journey" and "touched on seven central themes", namely: 'MYGateway', 'MYPeople', 'MyVision', 'MYHeritage', 'MYFuture', 'MYCulture' and 'MYEncounter'.

Here are the artist's impressions of how the seven stations in Malaysia will look like:

1. "With Kuala Lumpur as the capital city and gateway", the Bandar Malaysia station (MYGateway) will be "a re-interpretation of the confluence of Klang and Gombak rivers -- a symbolic wisdom of unity, of people from all walks of life".

2. The Bangi Putrajaya station (MYPeople) is located at the border between Selangor and Putrajaya. Its design "embraces the influence of majestic yet intricate details of Islamic architecture".

[related_story]

3. The Seremban station (MyVision) is "inspired by the grandeur of the royal palace of Sri Menanti and the lush tropical greenery of the Malaysia Vision Valley".

[related_story]

4. The Melaka station (MYHeritage) is inspired from "Melaka's history as a strategic trading port in its heyday". Its design was "drawn from the image of a merchant ship, symbolising the entrepreneurship spirit of the local communities".

5. The Muar Station (MYFuture) is to the south of the state of Johor. It will include "the richest elements of Malay culture" as they are "inspired by the rehal [which is] traditionally used for placing the Quran as students learn to recite it". It will also "symbolise the importance of learning entrenched in [Malaysia's] culture long ago", and be "a pillar of [Malaysia's] identity now and into the future".

6. "Inspired by the 'Kuda Kepang'", the Batu Pahat station (MYCulture) will "[strike] a balance between heritage and modernisation".

7. "To signify Iskandar Puteri's role as a regional city for commerce, for future business undertakings and international encounters combined with the Malaysian charm and warmth", the Iskandar Puteri station (MYEncounter) will be "inspired by the representation of a handshake".

Design of Singapore's Jurong East station

Meanwhile in Singapore, the artist impression's of the Jurong East station was unveiled in February this year:

A team of specialist consultants from Singapore's office of multinational engineering firm, AECOM, will be designing the infrastructure within Singapore, including the Jurong East terminus, tunnels and the bridge entering Singapore from the Straits of Johor.

Top image via PM Naji Razak's website