First Putrajaya MRT stretch opens today

KLANG Valley folk travelling to parts of Kepong and Sungai Buloh in Selangor have a new option of transportation mode starting today. The Putrajaya MRT line will begin operating from 3pm.

First phase of the route from Kwasa Damansara to Kampung Batu, spanning 17.5km, will be opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

During peak hours, the trains will arrive every four minutes, with each trip capable of ferrying 1,200 passengers.

For off-peak hours, the arrival frequency is seven minutes apart and a one-way trip from end to end will take 28 minutes.

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Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd operation control centre head Zamri Talib said 14 trains would serve the route during peak hours.

“This number covers both directions, going from Kwasa Daman-sara to Kampung Batu and back.

“During off-peak time, there will be eight trains servicing the line in both directions,” he said during a media preview at the MRT Depot in Sungai Buloh.

The stations are Kwasa Damansara, Kampung Selamat, Sungai Buloh, Damansara Damai, Sri Damansara Barat, Sri Daman-sara Sentral, Sri Damansara Timur, Metro Prima, Kepong Baru, Jinjang, Sri Delima and Kampung Batu.

Most of the stations are equipped with a park-and-ride facility. The exceptions are Kampung Selamat, Kepong Baru, Sri Delima and Kampung Batu.

Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Ramli Shafie hoped that the new line would help alleviate traffic congestion in the city.

“This line passes through Kepong, which is known for its heavy traffic.

“With the park-and-ride facility, commuters can park their vehicle and use the train to get to their final destination,” he said.

The second phase of the line, connecting Kampung Batu to Putrajaya, Sentral is expected to operate in January next year, he added.

On June 9, project director Datuk Amiruddin Ma’aris told Bernama that the second phase was 98% completed.

Among the final works being done are building link roads, landscaping and test runs of the trains.

A brochure supplied by MRT showed that the second phase would have 24 additional stations for the Putrajaya line.