Bandar Utama–Klang line
The 37-kilometer LRT3 or LRT Bandar Utama–Klang Line, is a light rapid transit line that is slated to be the third LRT system in the Klang Valley. The line will be operated by Rapid Rail. It was announced by Prasarana Malaysia on 24th April 2013.
When completed, the line will be one of the components of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. It is numbered and coloured Sky Blue on official rail maps.
Stations
A total of 26 stations were planned before the new government revised the scheme, with a proposed two-kilometre distance between each station. One station was to be an underground station, with the other 25 being elevated. The LRT3 will accommodate 6,000 parking bays.
The LRT3 will feature a few interchange stations. The planned interchanges are Bandar Utama of the MRT Kajang Line, CGC-Glenmarie of LRT Kelana Jaya Line and Klang of the KTM Port Klang Line.
The alignment is based on the Final Railway Scheme approved by the Land Public Transport Commission.
After a revision by the new government, the construction of Persiaran Hishamuddin station, which was supposed to be the only underground station for the line, was cancelled due to its high construction cost and expected low commuter demand in the area. This resulted in the reduction of the number of stations from 26 to 25 stations. Besides, the specifications of the stations were also changed. For instance, the former length of the stations were set for six-car trainsets, but now the proposed stations will be built for a maximum length of four-car trainsets. The changes in specifications are made in order to decrease the construction cost and reduce unnecessary elements from previous specifications.
Alignment and station list
The line currently has 25 permanent stations under construction, five of them being kept as provisional stations for the future.Chronology
- 30 May 2014 – The Shah Alam LRT would begin from Bandar Utama, Kelana Jaya, through areas of Glenmarie, HICOM-Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam city centre, UiTM, I-City, Bukit Raja Shopping Centre, Taman Eng Ann, Bandar Klang and then heading straight on to Johan Setia.
- 17 July 2014 – Following 2015 Budget which is tabled on 10 October 2014, the Prime Minister announced that the government will fund RM9 billion to build the LRT3 project linking Bandar Utama to Shah Alam and Klang, which is already in Prasarana's drawing board.
- 23 July 2014 – There are several disputes on the proposed routes with the main concern is on the line's integration with the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT line.
- 11 August 2014 – Construction of LRT3 may damage structures, says chairman of chamber
- 11 October 2014 – The project was approved with an allocation of RM9 billion. This line is no longer be an extension of the LRT Kelana Jaya Line as initially proposed.
- 13 December 2014 – Prasarana to roll out LRT3 projects by second half of 2015
- 11 April 2015 – Tender documents for RM9bil LRT3 project ready for collection LRT3 will be integrated with Kelana Jaya Line in Glenmarie LRT Station, which is currently being built as a part of the Kelana Jaya Line extension project. LRT3 is expected to be used by 300,000 users. The public display of the line will be held for three months beginning in May.
- 12 May 2015 – LRT3 works to start by Q1-2016. LRT3 public display to start on 15 May 2015. It will be put up for three months at seven locations – Shah Alam City Council, Petaling Jaya City Council, Public Land Transportation Commission office in Platinum Sentral, Klang Municipal Council and the Kelana Jaya, Masjid Jamek and Pasar Seni LRT stations – from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.
- 4 September 2015 – Prasarana Malaysia Berhad announced that Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad and George Kent Sdn Bhd joint venture has been appointed as the Project Delivery Partner for the Bandar Utama–Klang project.
- 20 October 2015 – Prasarana has agreed to change the LRT3 route, which was originally planned to cut through the housing area of Taman Muhibah in Klang to Pasar Besar Klang at Jalan Meru. Residents of Taman Muhibah had been objecting the proposed line which would run through their housing area.
- 24 August 2016 – Official launch of the LRT3 project by the former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Facts
- The 37-km rail line with 25 elevated stations.
- It is seamlessly connected with the:
- * at Bandar Utama terminus
- * at CGC-Glenmarie LRT station
- * KTM Komuter at Klang station, whereby the proposed new integrated LRT/Komuter station will be located at the KTMB reserve land at Jalan Raya Barat replacing the current Komuter station. This is to fulfil SPAD requirement that the stations must be located next to one another to ensure an integrated public transportation facility. The new Klang Komuter station will be built by Prasarana in line with SPAD’s requirement.
- LRT3 will be connected with 2 retail malls, namely TESCO Bukit Tinggi and AEON Bukit Tinggi in Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang.
- LRT3 will be equipped with the latest technologies including Communications-Based Train Controls, Automatic Train Controls, Passenger Information Display System, fire protection system and closed-circuit television system.
- LRT3 trains will have a maximum operating speed of 80 km/h with the capacity of carrying 36,720 passengers per hour per direction.
- LRT3 is one out of four rapid transit lines in the Klang Valley that does not serve KL Sentral, the other three being the Ampang Line, Sri Petaling Line and the future, as well as the first rapid transit line in the Klang Valley that is entirely outside the borders of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
- Reportedly, a planned underground station along Persiaran Hishamuddin is shelved and will possibly be replaced by a ground-level or elevated station instead, following objections from local residents. It will hence leave LRT3 without underground tracks, similar to the Ampang Line and KTM Komuter.