No public involvement in MRT trial run, says MRT Corp

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 3): No members of the public will be involved in the three-month trial run of Phase 1 of the mass rapid transit Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (MRT Line 1) that is slated to begin on Oct 1, said Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp).

“The tests and trial runs will not involve members of the public as we have to be absolutely sure that everything works fine before we open the line to the public,” said MRT Corp chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar (pictured).

MRT Corp is currently undertaking mechanical and electrical system works of Phase 1 of MRT Line 1, which is on track to meet its targeted completion by end-2016.

Shahril said 86% of the first phase of the line had been completed, with trial runs to start on Oct 1.

“We now have only a few months to [ensure that] Phase 1 of MRT Line 1 between the Sungai Buloh station and the Semantan station becomes operational by [the] end of this year. Progress of the line is now at 86%.

Meanwhile, Phase 2 of MRT Line 1, comprising underground and southern elevated sections, will be ready for operations in July 2017.

For the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line (MRT Line 2), Shahril said contract awards are progressing according to schedule.

“To date, we have awarded a total of 21 work packages. Work has already begun in several locations, involving activities like land clearing and utilities piloting,” said Shahril, who was speaking to reporters yesterday, during MRT Corp’s Hari Raya open house celebration.

In May, MRT Corp awarded four contracts worth a combined RM2.1 billion for works related to MRT Line 2, comprising two viaduct work packages and two system work packages.

IJM Corp Bhd was awarded work package V203 (worth RM1.47 billion), while Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd was awarded package V210 (worth RM648 million).

HAP Consortium and a consortium of Bombardier (M) Sdn Bhd and Global Rail Sdn Bhd were awarded packages SY203 (worth RM1.62 billion) and SY201 (worth RM458.02 million) respectively.

In April, Sunway Construction Group Bhd bagged package V201, valued at RM1.21 billion, while Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd won the RM1.44 billion contract for package V202.

The remaining work packages will be tendered out by the third quarter of 2016, with packages to be awarded by the first quarter of 2017.

Want to know the price trends of a development? Click here.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on Aug 3, 2016. Subscribe to The Edge Financial Daily here.