KUALA LUMPUR : The third line for the Klang Valley MRT (KVMRT) project, would provide shorter travelling time and better connectivity between rail lines in the city centre.
The third route, which will be known as the circle line due to its circular track, will be built 80 percent underground, said Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar.
The final alignment in the overall scheme of urban rail line, will feature 26 stations, of which 19 stations are underground and 7 stations elevated, Shahril said at a media briefing on the latest developments in the KVMRT project here today.
Line 3 is expected to cover Ampang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Tun Razak Exchange, Bandar Malaysia, KL Ecocity, Pusat Bandar Damansara, Mont Kiara and Sentul.
Shahril however pointed out that the final alignment will be decided following feedback from the public next year.
The public inspection is scheduled to take place in June or July 2018 for three months, he said.
The MRT Line 3 is aimed to connect and integrate with the existing MRT1 Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) rail line, MRT2 Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) line which is currently being built as well as other light rail transits and the monorail systems.
The MRT project is the country’s largest infrastructure development and backbone of the city’s public transport network.
It started with the SBK Line, where the construction cost for the 51km network is RM22 billion. The SBK Line is fully operational today.
The 52.2km SSP Line that is estimated to cost RM32 billion will serve a corridor with a population of around two million in Damansara Damai, Jalan Ipoh, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Tun Razak Exchange, Kuchai Lama, Seri Kembangan and Cyberjaya.
Phase 1 of the SSP Line will run from Kwasa Damansara to Kampung Batu, and comprise 12 stations. It is targeted for completion by July 2021. Phase 2 is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022. It will have 11 underground stations and 26 elevated stations.
NST Business previously reported that Line 3 may cover a distance of between 45km and 48km or longer, depending on the final alignment and would cost at least RM50 billion.
Underground portions are more expensive than at-grade transit lines or elevated guideways. Every 1km built underground with stations and systems will cost RM1 billion.
For every 1km of at-grade transit lines or elevated guideways it would cost around RM500 million.
Shahril, however declined to disclosed the estimated cost for the project.