The MRT 3 stations have been identified…. Again

By Joseph Wong

When the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project was first announced in 2010, it sparked considerable interest in the property industry, with many predicting that the new public transportation system would further transform the sector.

In general, the MRT project did help reinvigorate the industry following a property market slowdown after its peak in 2012, although there were various challenges along the way. Despite delays, MRT Line 1 (MRT 1) ultimately became fully operational in 2017.

Meanwhile in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic threw an additional curveball but MRT 2 successfully began operations last year. With bated breath, the Greater Kuala Lumpur (Greater KL) population has been eagerly anticipating the completion of MRT 3, also known as the Circle Line, to complete the city’s transit links.

After numerous delays, shelving and eventual revival, MRT Corporation Bhd (MRT Corp) finally announced that it would begin tendering the construction work in 2021. 

When StarProperty last published news on the MRT 3, 26 stations and 10 interchanges were planned. Then everything went quiet until April this year when news on additional stations were to be added to the Circle Line. 

The latest information from MRT Corp is that there will now be 32 stations - six more stations than what was announced in 2021, said Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd chief executive office Ishmael Ho.

Of the total, seven will be underground stations with the rest above ground although three stations have yet to be confirmed. There will still be 10 interchange stations and 11 stations designated with car park spaces. 

According to MRT Corp, the Circle Line is an orbital rail line, designed to connect the existing Klang Valley public transport network and improve mobility and ease of travel for the city’s growing population. Spanning 51 kilometers around the city’s perimeter, MRT 3 is designed to integrate with existing MRT, LRT, KTM and Monorail lines through 10 strategically located interchange and connecting stations.

And this service is essential as the Circle Line will offer shorter alternative routes to key destinations through multiple integration points along the alignment while providing critical connectivity to underserved areas of the city. 

At the moment, many commuters like Ahmad (using a pseudonym) are still not using MRT due to connectivity issues. “It takes a much longer time to reach my destination as I need to take the LRT from the Paramount Station to KL Sentral to take the MRT to the 1Utama Shopping Centre. This journey will involve a five-minute walk to the station, about 20 minutes to reach KL Sentral, another five-minute walk to the MRT Museum Station, another 20 minute ride to 1Utama and we haven’t even taken into account the waiting time for the LRT and MRT to arrive. Roughly it takes an hour but if I were to drive to 1Utama, it would take me 17 minutes,” said Ahmad.

With the Circle Line, people like Ahmad, for the above instance, could transfer at the Universiti and Bukit Kiara Selatan stations to connect to the MRT Kajang Line and reach 1Utama without having to travel all the way to KL Sentral to change trains. This would greatly reduce traveling time as well as cost. 

As such, the Circle Line would be a unique selling point for home buyers and investors, not just for the primary market but also for sub-sale properties, Ho pointed out.

Where to buy

The question on every home buyer’s mind now is this: Where to buy or invest? “Follow the infrastructure,” said Ho, explaining that residential projects connected to areas with high economic activity are likely to be in high demand.

“The Circle Line works as a connector. So there is a lot of interchanges,” he said, pointing out as an example that the proposed MRT 3 Bukit Kiara interchange connects to the MRT 1, which would connect to the LRT 3 line at Bandar Utama.

“So even if you stay all the way in Puchong or Klang, MRT 3 affects you,” he said.

This is why the MRT 3 Circle Line is creating major excitement, he said, pointing out that the Circle Line interchanges will shorten trips if a rider were to travel from one destination on MRT 1 to another destination on MRT 2 for example.

To date, commuters can experience a transformed cityscape as connectivity across Kuala Lumpur becomes an increasingly seamless reality. The completion of MRT Line 1 has bolstered connections across the city, linking up with existing LRT, monorail, and KTM lines, creating an interconnected web of transportation options. The addition of the Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line enhances this further by connecting the LRT with the KTM, making accessibility even smoother.

With MRT 2 now operational and extending routes to Putrajaya, connectivity has reached new lengths, opening up residential and commercial zones to greater accessibility. Meanwhile, the upcoming LRT Line 3 will link the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT 1 line to key destinations such as the i-City Golden Triangle, Klang, and Bukit Tinggi. This expanded connectivity will benefit shopping malls across the Klang Valley, many of which now boast stations right at their doorstep, while others offer convenient shuttle access to nearby transit hubs. One example is 1Utama Shopping Centre, where the station is situated just steps from its main entrance, greatly enhancing foot traffic.

The ease of mobility these transit lines bring is already making a visible impact on foot traffic and accessibility to shopping and commercial areas, improving convenience for daily commuters. With the much-anticipated Circle Line set to complete the network, Kuala Lumpur will soon offer one of the most efficient and comprehensive public transit systems in the region, promising an even easier, more connected experience for residents and visitors alike.

Meanwhile, MRT Corp has announced a three-month public inspection exercise for the Circle Line project. This inspection, set to conclude on Dec 2 this year, allows the public to review and provide feedback on the proposed alignment, site plans, context plans and other essential project details. The full schedule and locations for the Public Inspection exercise are available on the MRT3 Public Inspection microsite at www.mymrt.com.my.

"Follow the infrastructures," says Ho.

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