This is because a new proposed re-alignment option involves a change in the section between Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) and Seri Kembangan stations, serving Kuchai Lama, Sri Petaling (Taman Naga Emas), Sungai Besi and Serdang Raya.
This is to enable the MRT Line 2 to integrate with the future terminus of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail in Bandar Malaysia, a future megaproject spearheaded by 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB).
Convergence of rail networks in Bandar Malaysia would create the much needed catalyst for the development of real estate in Bandar Malaysia as well as creating a new destination on its own for passengers arriving with the High Speed Rail.
A passenger would then be able to travel directly to TRX and KLCC from Bandar Malaysia or interchanging at TRX to proceed to Bukit Bintang.
It would not be surprising if Bandar Malaysia will be positioned as the “KL Sentral” of the coming future since the current transportation hub KL Sentral in Brickfields is not able to expand any further.
The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has proposed a transportation terminus to be built which will include stations for existing tracks of KTM and Express Rail Link (ERL) south of the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base, which will be developed as Bandar Malaysia.
This will boost ridership for MRT Line 2 by an additional 16,000 passengers per day because the line would then interchange at Chan Sow Lin LRT Station (Ampang Line) and Sungai Besi LRT Station (Ampang Line – Sri Petaling Branch).
The new option will also see a more direct route for commuters from Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Serdang to Kuala Lumpur and reduce the expected end-to-end travel time from 100 minutes to 84 minutes.
Say for example, a working professional from Cyberjaya travelling into KL City would not want to waste time travelling on a route bypassing numerous Pandan and Cheras townships.
The proposed re-alignment will have a marginally longer underground section, which means less land acquisition. There will be a reduction of the elevated section by almost 10km, and a reduction of elevated stations. These reductions will offset any additional cost that may result of a marginally longer underground section.
The RM23 billion MRT Line 2 is expected to retain most of its alignment in the northern region, from Sungai Buloh to Kepong Baru and towards Titiwangsa via Jalan Ipoh. The southern region has been realigned from Serdang Raya to 16 Sierra via Taman Putra Permai and finally ending at Putrajaya Sentral.
With the proposed re-alignment route means that MRT Line 2 will now be 52.2km long, of which 13.5km is underground. A total of 36 stations, 11 of them underground will be built, whereby 1 of the underground station will be built under MRT Line 1, or the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (MRT SBK Line).
The total count of 36 stations excluded the starting station, as the Sungai Buloh MRT station will be built under MRT Line 1.
Before the re-alignment to Bandar Malaysia, MRT Line 2 was supposed to be 59.5km in length, with a total of 40 stations, 9 of which are underground stations.
At commencement of full service in Q4 2022, the MRT Line 2 is expected to have a ridership of 529,000 passengers per day, compared to an estimated 442,000 passengers per day for MRT Line 1. This is expected to further improve the chronic traffic congestion currently faced by Kuala Lumpur.
The route will end at Putrajaya Sentral replacing Precinct 14 Putrajaya that was proposed in the past. As such a greater catchment in Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Equine Park and Cyberjaya would be served including a MRT station adjacent to the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Cyberjaya.
The proposed route along with the identified stations for the entire MRT Line 2 after the proposed re-alignment is as follows:-
The current proposal for MRT SSP Line has been approved by the government.
Similarly to MRT Line 1 or the MRT Sungai Buloh–Kajang Line (MRT SBK Line), a joint venture company between MMC Corp Bhd and Gamuda Bhd has been appointed as the project delivery partner (PDP) to implement the MRT Line 2 project. The agreement will be concluded by the end of Q2 2015.
Pre-qualification exercises to shortlist prospective tenderers for the elevated works, stations and underground works for MRT Line 2 are expected to start by Q3 2015 with the first award to be announced in November of the same year.
In November 2014, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp), which is the developer and owner of Kuala Lumpur’s MRT lines, has appointed Arup Jururunding Sdn Bhd as the design consultant for the underground stations of MRT Line 2.
Additionally, MRT Corp believes that land acquisition for MRT Line 2 may not necessary happen in Bandar Malaysia if it goes underground.
If the MRT Line 2 is underground at this location and given that the land belongs to 1MDB, which is a government-owned entity, it is likely that MRT Corp will take the approach of the mutual agreement route taken in MRT Line 1. This is because under the mutual agreement, landowners would have to waive their right to claim the land below a certain level underground.
This will mean MRT Corp will not have to acquire land but co-exist with Bandar Malaysia’s infrastructure. The mutual agreement route that MRT Corp took with properties in Jalan Sultan and Jalan Inai in Kuala Lumpur for MRT Line 1 reportedly saved the government some RM1.4 billion.
MRT Corp has identified as many as 521 private properties along MRT Line 2 for compulsory acquisition. It aims to cut the cost of private land acquisitions through mutual agreements with landowners.
The government had also asked MRT Corp to immediately conduct feasibility studies on the alignment for MRT Line 3 (MRT Circle Line) with a view to providing the leftout areas of Pandan and Ampang with an MRT service.
According to sources, and ideally, MRT Line 3 may further interchange at the transportation hub of Bandar Malaysia as it completes its loop from Pandan to Pantai Dalam.
The construction time for the re-aligned option of MRT Line 2 remains the same. Possibly, the only change to the timeline is for the public display, which is now expected to take place in May 2015 instead of March 2015.
The public will be invited to the official public display which is expected to start in mid-May at 24 locations across the city.
-Article updated as of 30 April 2015.-