The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project is a planned three-line
mass rapid transit (MRT) system in the
Klang Valley
Klang Valley ( ms, Lembah Klang; zh, 巴生谷; ) is an urban conglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and includes its adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is con ...
(
Greater Kuala Lumpur
Greater Kuala Lumpur is the geographical term that determines the boundaries of Metropolitan Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Though similar to the term "Klang Valley", there remains a variation between the two. It is similar to Greater London and Great ...
), an
urban conurbation
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, ...
in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
which includes the capital city of
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
. The MRT lines, when completed, would be operated as components of the
Klang Valley Integrated Transit System
The Klang Valley Integrated Transit System is an integrated transport network that primarily serves the area of Klang Valley and Greater Kuala Lumpur. The system currently consists of 11 fully operating rail lines; two commuter rail lines, ...
.
Once completed, the MRT would serve to strengthen the current rail transit network in the Klang Valley, integrating the various existing rail lines while alleviating the severe traffic congestion in the Klang Valley metropolitan area. The proposal was announced in June 2010 and was approved by the government of Malaysia in December 2010. Construction of the first line commenced in July 2011. The project also represents one of the economic entry point projects identified for the Klang Valley "National Key Economic Area" under the
Economic Transformation Programme
The Economic Transformation Programme is an initiative by the Malaysian government to turn Malaysia into a high income economy by the year of 2020. It is managed by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), an agency under the Prime ...
by the
Malaysian government
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia ( ms, Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malay ...
.
The
Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp), founded in September 2011, has been appointed by the government as the official and asset owner of the project and the rail lines. Prior to the founding of the corporation, the project was managed by
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a 100% government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation ...
.
History
In June 2010, then Malaysian
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Najib Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysi ...
announced during the tabling of th
10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015)that the government was studying the MRT proposal for the Klang Valley, inspired by
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
's
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.
The original proposal was dubbed the “Klang Valley Integrated Transportation System”, but it is more commonly referred to as the “Greater Kuala Lumpur MRT” or “Klang Valley MRT” by the press and analysts. While the concept itself was conceived by a
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...
between
Gamuda Berhad
Gamuda Berhad () is an engineering, property and infrastructure company based in Malaysia. It is one of the largest Malaysian infrastructure companies and has undertaken various projects, both locally and overseas, like the construction of Kla ...
and
MMC Corporation Berhad
MMC Corporation Berhad (abbreviated as MMC; ) is a Malaysian utility and infrastructure conglomerate, with diversified businesses under three divisions: Energy & Utilities, Ports & Logistics, and Engineering. Syed Mokhtar Albukhary is the company' ...
, contract awards for the design and construction packages was expected to be tendered out by the government via the
Swiss challenge method, if approved. The MMC-Gamuda joint venture indicated its intention to be the project leader and undertake tunneling works. The newly launche
Public Land Transport Commission(SPAD) would oversee and coordinate the entire MRT development in terms of cost, viability, alignment and integration, and will play the role of regulators once the project is completed. The national public transport infrastructure company,
Prasarana Malaysia
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a 100% government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation ...
would ultimately own and operate the MRT.
In December 2010, the government approved the implementation of the MRT project, and appointed MMC-Gamuda joint venture as the Project Delivery Partner. Apart from tunneling works, the MMC-Gamuda joint venture will not be allowed to bid for the other eight parcels of the project.
Job tenders were expected to open in April 2011 and construction was targeted to commence in July 2011.
On 17 August 2011, the government announced that the
Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp), a new company under the
Finance Ministry
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
had been formed to take control of the project from
Prasarana Malaysia
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a 100% government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation ...
. MRT Corp would be the asset owner of the project and officially take over the project from Prasarana Malaysia on 1 September 2011. Prasarana Malaysia, through its subsidiary
Rapid Rail
Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd is the operator of the rapid transit (metro) system serving Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley area in Malaysia. A subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is the sole operator of five rapid transit lines which collectively form th ...
, will be the operators of the new MRT lines, allowing integration with the existing
Rapid KL
Rapid KL (styled as ''rapidKL'') is a public transportation system owned by Prasarana Malaysia and operated by its subsidiaries Rapid Rail and Rapid Bus. With its coverage throughout Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley areas, it was followed by a ...
rail network.
In May 2012, MRT Corp awarded four tenders worth
RM3.22 billion for the
MRT Kajang Line, the first line in the project. At the end of 2012, the corporation announced that the project for its first MRT line will not exceed
RM23 billion, adding that the line is stipulated for completion by July 2017.
In December 2014, during a briefing for the MRT Kajang Line, the CEO of MRT Corp revealed more details about the second MRT line. Construction was expected to begin by November 2015, after approvals and public displays in early 2015.
In February 2015, MRT Corp prepares tenders for the second MRT line. After numerous delays and re-alignments of the stations, the construction of second MRT line, the
MRT Putrajaya Line
The MRT Putrajaya Line is the second Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the third fully automated and driverless rail system in region. The line stretches from to Putrajaya and runs through densely populated areas ...
began in September 2016, with Phase 1 operations of the line aimed to be started by July 2021.
On 16 December 2016, the construction of Phase 1 of the MRT Kajang Line which spans 23 km from
Sungai Buloh
Sungai Buloh, or Sungei Buloh, is a town, a mukim (commune) and a parliamentary constituency in the northern part of Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. The name itself means ''bamboo river'' in the Malay language. It is located 16 km ...
to
Semantan was completed and the line was opened to public. Phase 2 of line, the remaining portion of the line from Sematan to
Kajang
Kajang is a town in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the Langat River. It is surrounded by ...
was completed and opened on 17 July 2017, allowing the entire line to enter full revenue service.
Rationale
The MRT project represents one of the economic entry point projects identified for the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley National Key Economic Area under the
Economic Transformation Programme
The Economic Transformation Programme is an initiative by the Malaysian government to turn Malaysia into a high income economy by the year of 2020. It is managed by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), an agency under the Prime ...
.
The new MRT system is envisaged to radically improve and transform Kuala Lumpur's poor and sorely inadequate public transportation coverage and to propel the Klang Valley metropolitan area to be on par with that of a developed city. The new lines will increase Klang Valley's rapid rail network from 15 km per million people in 2010 to 40 km per million people once completed. The proposal also envisages a fivefold increase in rail ridership, in line with the government's target for public transport usage in the Klang Valley of 40% by 2020 from 18% in 2009.
The project's three lines – the
MRT Circle Line
The MRT 3, MRT Line 3 or MRT Circle Line is a proposed thirteenth rail transit line, the third Mass Rapid Transit line and the fourth fully automated and driverless rail system in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Once completed, this line would ...
, looping around
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
, and the
MRT Kajang Line and
MRT Putrajaya Line
The MRT Putrajaya Line is the second Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the third fully automated and driverless rail system in region. The line stretches from to Putrajaya and runs through densely populated areas ...
covering a 20 km radius in the southeast–northwest direction from the city centre – will integrate the current
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
system in Kuala Lumpur and serve high-density areas which are currently not serviced by any rapid transit system. About 90 new stations are planned in this "Wheel and Spoke" concept, out of which 26 in the city centre will be underground. Ridership capacity will be 2 million passengers per day.
The preliminary project cost, which will be government-funded, was estimated by MMC-Gamuda to be at RM36 billion, representing the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in Malaysia. Analysts estimate the cost could be significantly higher due to extensive tunneling works required. While the project is welcome by most, some analysts and commentators have expressed concerns on the commercial viability of the project and skepticism on the government part to pull off a project of such scale, given the numerous past delays in other rail-related projects in Malaysia. However, most agree that the project will generate immense economic contribution and investment returns in the future.
Network
Initially, the previous proposed lines by MMC-Gamuda; Red Line will go from
Damansara in the northwest to
Serdang in the southeast, while Green Line will be from
Kepong
Kepong is a town in northern Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The name is a Malay word meaning "Enclose" or "Surround", as the town is surrounded by a mountain range.
Places of interest
* FRIM Kepong (Forest Research Institute Malaysia)
* Temasek Pewt ...
in the northeast to
Cheras in the southwest. Both lines will pass through downtown area of Kuala Lumpur and converge at Dataran Perdana (
Tun Razak Exchange
The Tun Razak Exchange, otherwise known as TRX (previously known as Kuala Lumpur International Financial District or KLIFD)'','' is a 70-acre development by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in the heart of Kuala Lumpur for international finance ...
) near
Jalan Tun Razak
Like all other historical urban centres, the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, contains a number of current and old roads and streets across the city.
This article contains an alphabetical list of notable roads within ...
.
These routes ultimately went through numerous realignments. The final route for
MRT Kajang Line is believed to have replaced the
Kota Damansara
Kota Damansara is an affluent township located in Petaling Jaya, Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is a township spread across .
It is also a state seat constituency which is sandwiched between Subang and Petaling Jaya. Notable landma ...
-
Cheras Line which was originally proposed by Prasarana in 2006.
In December 2010, the government approved the implementation of the MRT project and announced preliminary plans for the first line, the
MRT Kajang Line, stretching 51 km from
Sungai Buloh
Sungai Buloh, or Sungei Buloh, is a town, a mukim (commune) and a parliamentary constituency in the northern part of Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. The name itself means ''bamboo river'' in the Malay language. It is located 16 km ...
to
Kajang
Kajang is a town in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the Langat River. It is surrounded by ...
through 31 stations. The line will pass through the city centre and will serve densely populated suburban areas including
Kota Damansara
Kota Damansara is an affluent township located in Petaling Jaya, Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is a township spread across .
It is also a state seat constituency which is sandwiched between Subang and Petaling Jaya. Notable landma ...
,
Mutiara Damansara
Mutiara Damansara is an affluent major township in the northern flank of Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Transportation Public transportation
Mutiara Damansara MRT station is the main railway station serving the township. rapidKL bus route 8 ...
,
Bandar Utama
Bandar Utama Damansara is a residential township located within the Sungai Buloh mukim (subdivision) of the Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is a residential suburb and home to the popular 1 Utama Shopping Centre. Bandar Utama Damansar ...
,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail is a nearly half a decade old mid sized township in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Situated on the border of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, it is within the vicinity of relatively newer townships including Bandar Utama Damansara, D ...
,
Bukit Damansara
Damansara Heights ( ms, Bukit Damansara) is an upscale suburb in western side of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located five kilometres away from the city centre. The suburb falls under the Segambut district and its parliamentary constituency. It is a s ...
,
Cheras,
Bandar Tun Hussein Onn Bandar Tun Hussein Onn is a township in 11th-Mile Cheras (Batu 11 Cheras) in Bangi constituency, Selangor, Malaysia. It was named after the third Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn (in office 1976–1981). It is primarily a residential ar ...
and
Balakong
Balakong ( Jawi: بالقوڠ; ) or Cheras South ( Jawi: چراس سلتن; ) is a township in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Located to the southeast of Greater Kuala Lumpur, the township consists mainly of residential condominiums, ...
, with a total catchment population of 1.2 million people. Thie line commenced construction in July 2011 and was completed in 2017.
The
MRT Putrajaya Line
The MRT Putrajaya Line is the second Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the third fully automated and driverless rail system in region. The line stretches from to Putrajaya and runs through densely populated areas ...
, currently under construction, will consist of 35 stations over 52.2 km stretching from
Sungai Buloh
Sungai Buloh, or Sungei Buloh, is a town, a mukim (commune) and a parliamentary constituency in the northern part of Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. The name itself means ''bamboo river'' in the Malay language. It is located 16 km ...
to
Putrajaya
Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya), is a planned capital city which functions as the administrative capital and the judicial capital of Malaysia. The seat of the federal government ...
, also passing through the city centre and will serve the suburban areas of
Kepong
Kepong is a town in northern Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The name is a Malay word meaning "Enclose" or "Surround", as the town is surrounded by a mountain range.
Places of interest
* FRIM Kepong (Forest Research Institute Malaysia)
* Temasek Pewt ...
,
Bandar Sri Damansara
Bandar Sri Damansara is a residential township in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. The township is divided into two sections, SD1-SD5 in the north and SD7-SD15 in the south which are separated by Malaysia Federal Route 54, Kuala Selangor-Ke ...
Sentul,
Titiwangsa
Titiwangsa is one of the main areas located in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur General Hospital is located south of Titiwangsa. The current member of parliament for Titiwangsa is Johari Abdul Ghani from Barisan Nasional ...
,
Kuchai Lama
Kuchai Lama is a suburb in Seputeh constituency in south-western Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located along the Old Klang Road.
This suburb is situated 8 km away from Kuala Lumpur City Centre. It is adjacent to Taman Desa, Pantai Dalam, Taman OUG ...
,
Sungai Besi
Sungai Besi (formerly known as ''Sungei Besi'') (English: Steel River) is a town and suburb within the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. It was also a federal constituency in Kuala Lumpur from 1974 to 1995. Sungai Besi was a historical mining ...
,
Seri Kembangan
Seri Kembangan, formerly known as Serdang New Village, is a town located in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. The town is now a considerable city in size. It is located near the northern end of the PLUS Expressway Southern Route .
Histor ...
and
Cyberjaya
Cyberjaya (a portmanteau of ''cyber'' and ''Putrajaya'') is a city with a science park as the core that forms a key part of the Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia. It is located in Sepang District, Selangor. Cyberjaya is adjacent to, and deve ...
. The line is expected to be fully operational by 2023.
In 2023, the government of Malaysia plans for the third MRT line, the
MRT Circle Line
The MRT 3, MRT Line 3 or MRT Circle Line is a proposed thirteenth rail transit line, the third Mass Rapid Transit line and the fourth fully automated and driverless rail system in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Once completed, this line would ...
.
The line will consist of 31 stations with 2 provisional stations over 50 km stretching from
Bukit Kiara
Bukit Kiara is a densely forested area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The area is in proximity to the suburbs of Bukit Damansara, TTDI
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail is a nearly half a decade old mid sized township in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Situated ...
to the
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
and will serve populated residential areas including
Sri Hartamas,
Titiwangsa
Titiwangsa is one of the main areas located in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur General Hospital is located south of Titiwangsa. The current member of parliament for Titiwangsa is Johari Abdul Ghani from Barisan Nasional ...
,
Mont Kiara,
Segambut
Segambut is a sub-district and a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
From the high-end condominiums of Mont Kiara and Sri Hartamas to the middle-class areas of Taman Sri Segambut and Bandar Manjalara, and the rural areas ...
,
KL Metropolis
KL Metropolis is a 75.5-acre mixed development situated nearby the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in the district of Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The term "KL" from its name is short for Kuala Lumpur. This RM21 billion development is envision ...
,
Titiwangsa
Titiwangsa is one of the main areas located in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur General Hospital is located south of Titiwangsa. The current member of parliament for Titiwangsa is Johari Abdul Ghani from Barisan Nasional ...
,
Setapak
Setapak is a mukim in Gombak District, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Formerly a tin-mining and rubber estate area, in Malay ''tapak'' means 'step' so ''Setapak'' means 'one step', probably referring to the close proximity of the suburb to Kuala Lu ...
,
Setiawangsa
Setiawangsa is an eastern suburb in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located less than 4 kilometres from the city centre and located right next to Ampang. There are 4 main residentials within this area;
# Taman Setiawangsa
# Tiara Setiawangsa
# Bukit ...
,
Cheras,
Salak South
Salak South (, ) is a town of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal t ...
,
Pandan Indah
Pandan Indah ( Jawi: ڤندان اينده; ) is a major township in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located between Ampang proper and Cheras.
Pandan Indah has the basic facilities of a modern Malaysian township - it has a police station, ...
,
Cheras,
Pantai Dalam
Pantai Dalam is a residential area located south-west of Kuala Lumpur, under the parliamentary constituency of Lembah Pantai. Represented in Dewan Rakyat by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Fahmi Fadzil. The name Pantai Dalam derived from Kampung Pam ...
and
Bangsar South
Bangsar South ( Malay: ''Bangsar Selatan'') is an integrated property development project which sits on the former Kampung Kerinchi site in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is renamed of Kampung Kerinchi from the developer to upscale the value of land ...
. The construction of the Circle Line will form the "wheel" feature of the "Wheel and Spoke" model used in the construction of the entire MRT project. The line is expected to begin its first phase of operations in December 2028.
References
External links
Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp)Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana)Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD)
{{Urban Rail Transit in ASEAN
Proposed rail infrastructure in Malaysia
Klang Valley