The third line or circle line completing the country’s first mass rapid transit network system is expected to be costlier than two earlier similar routes as it would be mostly underground.
This is based on the two earlier lines that proved underground portions to be the most expensive parts of their entire project packages.
KUALA LUMPUR: The third line or circle line completing the country’s first mass rapid transit network system is expected to be costlier than two earlier similar routes as it would be mostly underground.
This is based on the two earlier lines that proved underground portions to be the most expensive parts of their entire project packages.
Line 1 or the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) line underground portion cost RM8.3bil for 9.5km while Line 2 or the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) underground line is expected to cost more than RM11bil for 13.5km.
Overall, SBK has a RM23bil price tag while the SSP line – which will be awarded soon – will cost RM28bil.
“The third line or the circle line is expected to be mostly underground,” MRT Corp chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar told StarBiz at its Hari Raya open house celebration yesterday.
However, Shahril could not confirm neither the timeline nor length of the third line as MRT Corp is now focused on groundbreaking the SSP line by early next year and completing the SBK line on time.
In the Greater KL/Klang Valley Land Public Transport Master Plan as previously reported, the circle line would cater for orbital movements around Kuala Lumpur, provide linkages to major developments identified in the DBKL City Plan such as Matrade and reach existing areas that are currently poorly served.
Orbital movements in KL would be addressed by the provision of a circle line.
This would link existing areas such as the Mid Valley, Mont Kiara, Sentul Timur and Ampang, as well as proposed developments such as Matrade.
The circle line would encourage modal transfers in corridors that are currently poorly served by public transport as well as providing relief to the radial lines for those direct orbital journeys which have to travel via the city centre.
Updating the country’s most expensive public infrastructure projects, Shahril said the public display for SSP line would end on Aug 17 and “we are in pre-qualifying process right now.” The awarding process will start as early as November or December this year.
There will be about 66 packages with an RM11bil bumiputra portion.For the SBK line, Shahril was confident the first phase from Sungai Buloh to Semantan would be operational by December next year as scheduled.
“The underground portion is now 79% completed and overall the SBK line is 65.4% completed – on track to meet the deadline in July, 2017,” he said.
On the TRX Exchange, that is on top of one of its main underground stations, Shahril said they were working closely with 1 Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) real estate subsidiary.
On concerns that the TRX Exchange development could not be concurrent against the completion of the SBK line, Shahril said it was understood that the topside development there should take consideration of its MRT station as well.
“Nevertheless, we are focusing to complete the SBK line in accordance with our schedule,” he said.