Govt welcomes private sector collaboration with Railway Assets Corporation

KAJANG: The government welcomes the involvement of the private sector to develop land belonging to Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) along the national railway lines such as the development of the Kajang 2 railway station.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Kajang 2 railway station adopted the transit-oriented development concept using the private-public partnership approach in collaboration with Srijang Kemajuan Sdn Bhd (SKSB).

"The Kajang 2 transit-oriented development station does not involve expenditure from the government as it was built by a private party that gets the rights to develop the land," he told reporters after officiating the opening of the station here on Thursday (April 13).

According to Loke, the Kajang 2 railway station, which was built through a railway reserve land lease, allows RAC to own a railway station worth RM60mil at its current value as well as eight kiosks and commercial lots that can be rented out at reasonable rates.

He also announced free commuter rides for three days starting on Friday (April 14) until Sunday (April 16) for every one-way trip from the station to any other destination.

Loke also urged Rapid Bus and Smart Selangor bus to make Kajang 2 railway station one of the stops to pick up and drop off passengers.

"A good public transport network will encourage the public to use Kajang 2 railway station thus encouraging the local community to use public transport," he said.

Kajang 2 railway station, which began operating on March 13, is capable of handling 146,000 passengers a year and it is equipped with 500 parking spaces, pedestrian overpasses with elevators, six escalators, disabled-friendly facilities, security surveillance areas at strategic locations, drop-off areas for passengers and basic amenities such as toilets, prayer rooms and covered platforms.

Earlier, Loke in his speech suggested developers create affordable housing, especially in areas close to transportation hubs such as train stations as the initiative to provide access to public transport will help the low and middle-income groups to own a home as well as save on their expenses.

"Residential areas that are close to public transport will add value to the project," he said. – Bernama