Najmuddin briefing the media on the upcoming MRT Sungai Buloh -Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) line.
A TOTAL of 18 interchanges will link both the upcoming MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) and Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) Lines with other rail networks.
The interchanges will connect MRT lines with KTM, LRT, KL Monorail, KLIA Express Rail Link (ERL) and even the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) when it is completed in 2026, with the aim of creating a fully integrated system.
Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) strategic communications and stakeholder relations director Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah said there were plans to supplement SBK and SSP Lines with a third, the proposed Circle Line to connect areas within the city centre.
“There is a huge possibility that the entire line will be underground as it is almost impossible for MRT trains to pass through tall buildings in the city.
“We will be integrating MRT stations with current and future developments,” he said, adding that only one row of seven houses would be bought over for the SSP Line.
“We are serious in avoiding taking people’s houses; 81% of land used for the SSP Line belongs to the Government and 20% of public land was acquired to build the SBK Line.
The SSP Line slated for completion by 2022, stretches 52.2km in length with 12 interchanges and a total of 37 stations, 11 of which are underground.
It is expected to cater to 529,000 passengers daily with end-to-end travel time of 84 minutes.
Questions were raised at the briefing on Sept 13 on the SSP Line’s RM32bil cost, compared to the first line (SBK Line) at RM23bil.
“The second line costs more as there are more underground stations because the cost of underground works is much higher,” said Najmuddin.
Overall, there are 73 work packages, with 23 of them worth RM24bil already awarded while a tender process is ongoing for the rest.
Najmuddin said the Kwasa Damansara, Kampung Selamat and Sungai Buloh stations from the SBK Line would also be servicing the SSP Line, connecting the first and second lines.
“The Sungai Buloh Depot will be doubled in size to accommodate both lines as they are connected through the depot.
“There are two provisional (future stations) for the SSP Line, namely Technology Park and Taman Universiti stations.
“Building a train system is not like building a road, which can be easily expanded with another lane added later on.
“We do not know when we will be building the two stations, but we know that those areas are going to be huge in terms of population in the future and we will build stations there.
“So structures such as tracks and railway platform area will have to be included in the construction process as if the stations are being built today, but the station house itself will not be built as we are not using the two stations yet.
He said the reason was because the current population in the area did not justify the stations being built as they would become a white elephant if not used.
“But we see the areas as a prospect for the future as we have been made to understand there are massive developments planned in the area,” he added.
There will be park-and-ride bays at 15 stations along the SSP Line, with a total of 9,200 parking bays.
Phase one of SBK Line from Sungai Buloh to Semantan in Damansara Heights will begin operations in December.
The third line (Circle Line) is still undergoing engineering feasibility studies.
Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has been contracted as operators for the MRT and handover of the operations will be made in stages.
