KUCHING: Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd has awarded its System Package 1 contract for the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project to EPR Mobilus GR JV Sdn Bhd.
The RM1.425bil contract involves the supply of rolling stock, which consists of hydrogen-powered autonomous rapid transit (ART) vehicles, depot equipment and maintenance vehicles, signalling and control system and automatic platform gates.
In a statement on Tuesday (July 19), Sarawak Metro said EPR Mobilus GR JV will work with CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Company Limited and CIMC-Hexagon Hydrogen Energy Systems Limited (suppliers of the hydrogen-powered ART vehicles); Thales (supplier of the signalling and control system); Fangda Innotech Company Limited (supplier of the automatic platform gate); and DOM Industries (M) Sdn Bhd and CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Company Limited (supplier of the depot equipment and maintenance vehicles) for the contract.
The letter of award was presented to EPR Mobilus GR JV – a joint venture between EPR (Kuching) Sdn Bhd, Mobilus Sdn Bhd and Global Rail Sdn Bhd – on Monday (July 18), witnessed by state Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin representing Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Sarawak Metro also said the System Package 2 tender was closed on Monday, involving telecommunications, supervisory control and data acquisition, automatic fare collection, computerised maintenance management system, operation control centre and information technology system.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the hydrogen-powered ART system was in line with Sarawak's aspiration to have a sustainable public transport solution which addressed the issue of climate change.
"Just as we are trailblazers in the development of our digital economy, we are trailblazers in the hydrogen economy.
"The application of hydrogen to transform our public transport system is a testament to our commitment towards further improving the socio-economy of Sarawak," he said in his speech read by Lee.
Abang Johari also said the state government recently approved Sarawak Metro's proposal for Phase One of the KUTS project to include a new line towards the Santubong peninsula.
The proposed alignment was made in consideration of future development plans for Santubong and the area's potential for growth in tourism and leisure.
"Although this new alignment will be about 20km longer, we have managed to keep the overall cost of the project to below RM6bil through Sarawak Metro's ongoing value engineering initiative," said Abang Johari.
