PETALING JAYA: The feasibility study of the third light rail transit (LRT 3) line connecting Kelana Jaya to Klang through Shah Alam is expected to be completed by the end of next month and the project is expected to cost between RM8bil and RM9bil, said a source close to the matter.
“This will translate into about RM230mil per km on average to cater to the most populated and industrialised cities in Selangor.
“Looking at the environment now, where the Government is pushing towards the development of public rail infrastructure networks, it should receive the green light soon.
“After the feasibility study by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd is completed, it will then go to the relevant authority for approval.
“And this will be good news for the people in Shah Alam and Klang as well as contractors involved in the ongoing RM7bil LRT extension of the Ampang and Kelana Jaya line to bid for more jobs,” the source told StarBiz.
Some of the main stations, according to the source, would be Glenmarie, Stadium Shah Alam, i-City, UiTM, Bandar Baru Klang, South Port and Bandar Sultan Sulaiman.
“There are several route options being proposed and this LRT 3 is going to be connected to the Kelana Jaya line and the mass rapid transit line.
“The LRT 3 is going to be 30km to 34km in length with projected ridership of 22,000 passengers per hour per direction,” he said.
As of 2010, Shah Alam has a total population of 216,000 while Klang has 909,500 people.
Currently, the Greater Kuala Lumpur region is witnessing the ongoing construction of the RM23bil Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT project undertaken by MRT Corp and its project delivery partner, a joint venture between Gamuda Bhd and MMC Corp Bhd.
The line with 31 stations serves a corridor with an estimated population of 1.2 million people.
Meanwhile, Prasarana’s LRT extensions of the Kelana Jaya and Ampang line with additional 13 stations for each line will be fully completed by June 2015.
The extension of the Kelana Jaya and Ampang line will see the construction of 17km of elevated tracks extending from Kelana Jaya station to Putra Heights and another 17.7km track from Sri Petaling station to Putra Heights.
The Kelana Jaya line extension will increase passenger capacity up to 98,000 during peak hours, while the extended Ampang line can cater to 79,800 passengers.
Upon completion, the two lines will connect at the Putra Heights station, forming a complete rail system in the Klang Valley.