MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line

The MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line is a new line under construction under the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur rail transit system.

Announced in 2006, the line was initially planned as a Light Rail Transit (LRT) at 43 km in length, linking the densely populated areas of Damansara in the northwest and Cheras in the southeast, through the central business district of Kuala Lumpur city. However, the government is currently considering the possibility of extending the alignment at both ends of the line to Sungai Buloh and Kajang, respectively adding 16 km to the line making a total 59 km. In addition, the system is now a proposed mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system instead, providing the much needed larger capacity trains for the densely populated areas that the line will traverse.

The government gave the approval for the construction of an MRT line stretching from Sungai Buloh to Kajang in December 2010. It will be the first of three MRT lines proposed under the Government's Economic Transformation Programme.

Current timeline projection indicates project completion in 2017 as opposed to the original LRT plan which were supposed to be completed in 2014. The new line will be developed and owned by MRT Corp, which is 100% owned by the Ministry of Finance. Whether it will operate through subsidiaries of Prasarana's Rapid Rail under same brand name of Rapid KL can not be confirmed. It depends on Prasarana's capability and performance on managing its current rail network.

Chronology

 * August 2006 - The LRT Kota Damansara-Cheras Line proposal was first made known public by the then deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, under a RM10 billion government allocation for the improvement and expansion of the public transportation network in Klang Valley. It was then reported that the line would stretch “some 30 km” through Kuala Lumpur. The combined cost of the new line and the proposed extensions of two existing LRT Kelana Jaya Line and LRT Ampang Line were estimated at RM7 bn back then.


 * July 2007 – The Ministry of Transport had approved the alignment of the new line, which would then be tabled to the Cabinet for approval. The Government was then saying the line would be completed by 2012. With an average construction period taking three to four years, work should have started by end-2008 to meet the deadline, although that did not happen.


 * June 2008 - It was reported that the line would comprise 30 stations and stretch 40 km in length through the densely populated areas of Damansara and Cheras, as well as the central business district of Kuala Lumpur city. Cost estimates for the line were then reported at RM4-5 billion, with the majority of the stations elevated.


 * September 2008 – It was reported that a distance of 5.9 km stretching from Brickfields to Bukit Bintang will be underground, although the number of such underground stations was not announced. It was during this time that the line was said to be 42 km with 32 stations in total, and is being considered for as a mass rapid transit (MRT) system, taking into consideration the suitability of this system based on a population catchment area 878,000. It was also reported that the detailed design stage for the line would commence in 2Q2009.


 * December 2008 - The Edge Daily reported that the line was set for completion in 2014. The Transport minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, declined comment when probed for further details on the cost and timeline.


 * May 2009 - The Edge Daily reported that the government would be calling for tenders for the LRT Kelana Jaya Line and LRT Ampang Line extension projects but there was no indication on the implementation of the new Kota Damansara-Cheras Line.


 * September 2009 - Prasarana group managing director Datuk Idrose Mohamed said that the new line could end up longer than the earlier announced Kota Damansara alignment, although he did not offer any further details. It is believed that the line terminus could stretch out further north from Kota Damansara to Sungai Buloh.


 * April 2010 - The Edge Daily reported that a proposal to extend the line by 16 km is being studied by the government. The proposal calls for the line to be extended from Kota Damansara to Sungai Buloh (additional 3 km) and from Cheras to Kajang (additional 9 km). An additional line from Damansara Utama to Kelana Jaya (additional 4 km) is also being studied. This will bring the total length of the line to 59 km.


 * June 2010 - During the tabling of the 10th Malaysia Plan, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that the government is now considering a RM36 billion Klang Valley MRT proposal from Gamuda Berhad and MMC Corporation Berhad. Although the specific details of the alignment have not been revealed, it is reported to consist of 3 lines, one of which has the same general alignment as that of the Kota Damansara-Cheras line. It is not known if this new MRT plan will replace, or be in addition to the original Kota Damansara-Cheras line proposal. While the MRT plan is generally welcomed, observers of public transportation development and the public have become increasingly frustrated and disillusioned with the lack of any real progress in the development of the Klang Valley mass rail system, resulting from the incessant announcements by the government but without any work done.


 * December 2010 - The Prime Minister has announced that the new MRT lines has been approved by the cabinet and the construction of the lines will begin in July 2011. The government has appointed MMC-Gamuda JV Sdn Bhd as the project manager. The whole project will be divided into nine parcels in which will be done on open tender basis. 10 km of the line will be underground and 50 km is above ground.  MMC-Gamuda will be barred from bidding for the tender except for the tunneling works (the most expensive portion). The project will introduce 60 km of rail tracks plus 35 new stations.


 * 14 February 2011 - SPAD begins a 3-month mandatory public display of the alignment at participating municipals and the operator's Prasarana headquarters. From here on, complaints and suggestions will be heard upon.


 * 8 July 2011 - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak officially launched the project in a ceremony. The alignment has been adjusted with the final alignment contains 31 stations and 16 Park and Ride facility.


 * 17 August 2011 - The government announced that a new company under the Finance Ministry is formed to take control of the project from Prasarana. The new company is called MRT Corp and will be the asset owner of the project. The company will officially take over from Pasarana on 1 September 2011. Motivation for creating this company is to ensure timely execution and focused vision on the project.


 * 21 October 2011 - Malaysian government has shortlisted 5 companies to tunnel works. Bidders includes China's Sinohydro Group and South Korea's SK Holdings.


 * 1 November 2011 - Bus Stand Klang has ceased operation and will be demolished to make way for new MRT station.


 * 1 August 2012 - Project manage announced that the project is now in active construction phase.


 * December 2012 - MRT Corp announced that the project cost would not exceed the limit of RM 23 billion, adding that its first MRT line is expected for completion by July 2017. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Razak revealed that the first phase construction of MRT project can be wrapped up by the end of 2016.


 * 30 May 2013 - Tunnel excavation works for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line begins with the world's first Variable Density Tunnel Boring Machine. Commencement of tunneling works is launched by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak at the Cochrane Launch Shaft.

Alignment and Stations
The first MRT Line covers a span of 51 kilometres from outskirt Sungai Buloh to the Kajang town, passing the Kuala Lumpur city centre in an underground setting. The line will be serving a conurbation of 1.2 million people residing in the Klang Valley region from north-west to the south-west of Kuala Lumpur. According to MRT Corp, the four-coaches trains with the capacity of 1,200 passengers will be in place to serve some 400,000 passengers per day.

There will be 31 stations along the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line with 7 stations located at the designated underground railway system for a distance of 9.5 kilometres. Route Map

The stations announced by MRT Corp on its official website are listed as below in order. All the station names are interim and subject to change.

Amendments
Due to complaints from Taman Tun Dr Ismail residents, MRT Corp has announced that the TTDI station will be shifted from the original planned location. It is believed that the new site will be next to Caltex Station in Jalan Damansara.

After the MRT project was formally launched on July 8, 2011, the following amendments have been made to the original plan: -
 * 31 stations instead of 35 stations will be built and provisions have been made for 3 more stations
 * Section 16 and Section 17 stations have been combined into the section 16 station
 * TTDI station has been moved
 * Bukit Bintang stations have been combined into one, moved and will be integrated with KL Monorail station. The station will be named Bukit Bintang Central instead of Bukit Bintang.
 * KL Sentral station will be built at Muzium Negara and will be integrated with KL Sentral through a tunnel link.
 * Park and Ride facilities has been increased to 16 from 13 previously.
 * Taman Mesra station has been removed.
 * Sungai Buloh and Bandar Kajang station alignments have been adjusted.

Rolling Stock
The rolling stock will be provided by Siemens with a partnership with Hisniaga Consortium Sdn Bhd. The trains will be driverless with a capacity of 1200 per set in a four car configuration. It is not confirmed which model will be supplied by Siemens but the current model for metro trains is Siemens Inspirio.

The four-car trains will be maintained at 2 purpose built facilities, Sungai Buloh and Kajang depots, located nearby Kota Damansara and Saujana Impian stations respectively.

Contact

 * 1800-82-6868 - The Project's 24 Hours Hotline