Dr Wee: Cabinet gives green light to MRT3 line suspended by Pakatan govt

PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the third MRT line in Klang Valley which was suspended by the Pakatan Harapan administration.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) said that Cabinet made the decision on the MRT3, also known as the Circle Line, recently.

“Following the announcement of the project revival in Budget 2021 last year, the government has agreed that Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) will be the project owner and developer, and it will update studies done in 2018 before the suspension of the project by the previous government," he told reporters after inspecting part of the upcoming Putrajaya MRT line here on Saturday (April 3).

He added that MRT Corp hoped to kick start the project in the second half of the year.

The Circle Line was planned to provide a loop to integrate several rail lines in Klang Valley by 2025, with MRT Corp announcing on Aug 12,2016 that it is expected to submit the study on the Circle Line to the government by the end of 2016.

It was one of three planned MRT lines under the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Project spearheaded by MRT Corp, a special purpose vehicle under the Finance Ministry.

The Circle Line will form a loop line that encircles, but effectively bypassing Kuala Lumpur's central business district, while linking up most of the radial rail lines.

In widely shared "speculative" versions, which has neither been confirmed nor denied by MRT Corp, the Circle Line will have stations at Bukit Kiara (interchange with Kajang MRT), INTAN-National Science Centre, Sri Hartamas, Mon't Kiara, Jalan Duta, Matrade, Segambut Tengah (interchange with KTMB), Sentul Barat (interchange with the currently under construction Putrajaya MRT Line), Sentul Timur (interchange with the Ampang LRT line), Setiawangsa (interchange with Kelana Jaya LRT line), Pandan Indah (interchange with Ampang LRT), Taman Midah (interchange with Kajang MRT), Salak Selatan (interchange with Sri Petaling LRT), Bandar Malaysia South (interchange with Putrajaya MRT), MidValley (interchange with KTMB), Kerinchi (interchange with Kelana Jaya LRT), and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, among others.

“The government is serious in getting the major infrastructure projects implemented as a way to boost the economy as well as to ensure the rakyat continues to enjoy the benefits of this project, ” said Dr Wee, who had earlier conducted an inspection of the Sri Damansara Sentral Station, one of the stations under the Putrajaya line that stretches from Kwasa Damansara to Putrajaya Sentral.

Phase 1 of the Putrajaya MRT is nearly complete and is scheduled to start passenger operations in August after extensive trials without any passengers beginning April.

"Phase 1 runs from the Kwasa Damansara station to the Kampung Batu station, and covers 17.5km, with construction progress at 97%," said MRT Corp CEO, Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim.

It takes 24mins to cover the 12 stations under Phase 1 of the line from Kwasa Damansara to Kampung Batu.

Phase 2 of the Putrajaya Line from Kampung Batu to Putrajaya Sentral is scheduled to open for passenger service by January 2023, with the progress of this portion with 24 stations at 87%.

Dr Wee, who congratulated MRT Corp, turnkey contractor MMC Gamuda, and other contractors for the good progress under Phase 1, said Putrajaya Line covers some of the mostly densely populated areas such as Sri Damansara, Kepong, Jinjang, and Kampung Batu, and will bring benefit to the people.