Sarawak is set to begin trials of its autonomous trackless tram system with the arrival of the prototype hydrogen-powered vehicle in the state. The three-car set, built by Chinese company CRRC Zhuzhou Institute, will be assembled and then given a two-month engineering run ahead of a proof-of-concept (POC) exercise, the Borneo Post reports.
The engineering run, which starts on September 1, will be conducted at the Isthmus area, while the POC exercise will be held in November along a section of the Kuching Samarahan expressway. The site for the POC exercise is a 3km-long lane built between two roundabouts, which have been converted into smart traffic light junctions. This stretch will be part of the permanent dedicated lane built for the ART Blue Line alignment.
Sarawak economic development corporation (SEDC) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said that the engineering run would allow Sarawak Metro to refine the specification of the ART and also to identify any potential issues before the POC exercise begins.
“The POC exercise is for us to collect data to evaluate the feasibility of the prototype for the final design of the vehicle. During the engineering run and the POC exercise, the ART will mostly not carry any passengers. Rides on this prototype ART will only be held at certain times, and this is by invitation only and for selected stakeholders,” he said.
According to Sarawak Metro, the ART – which will form the backbone of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) – is the world’s first such transit system to use hydrogen fuel cell-powered trackless vehicles on rubber tyres and operating on dedicated lanes.
The trackless tram system will cover routes totalling 70 km over three rail lines and 31 stations in its first phase. Revenue services are expected to commence in stages from the fourth quarter of 2025, beginning with the Blue Line (Line 1) from Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in the centre of Kuching.
Two other lines are also set to be constructed under phase one of the KUTS project, and these are the Red Line (from Kuching Sentral to Pending) and the Green Line (from Pending to Damai Central). The entire first phase is scheduled to be completed by 2027. Sarawak Metro will have a feeder bus network that will provide the first mile and last mile connectivity for KUTS.
The Chinese-made ART vehicle measures 30.2 metres in length, 2.65 metres in width and 3.7 metres in height. It can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h and will be able to accommodate 300 passengers.
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Unpopular opinion: Pls implement this for major cities in west malaysia too so that we can have less motorcyclist on the road. Might even reduce cars.
IMHO impossible to implement due to “high kicks and hand slap car side-mirror” motorcyclist tribes confirmed anger and rage when tram bus obstructing their privilege of Lane-splitting cowboy law
Battery-Less + Track-less Self Driving Train!
Futuristic yet sustainable for Carbon Neutral Goal with this FCEV ART.
Easily with its low cost yet well-maintained demarcated route.
Could expand rapidly at Klang Valley connection too.
Don’t think it’s self driving tho
All trams are with drivers, never seen one without..
Looks like a good place for gang negotiation and fighting.
Exactly, Kuching popular with underworld gangsters, probably we should be able to see fight sceens in that tram just like in the movie, lol..
ART passed in front of my office
https://share.icloud.com/photos/046tEc4dn8bCl0NuM92iwkDew
No fair
GPS menang, Sarawak maju
Big enough to set up Ramhah Counter for Quick grab meal and drinks.
For convenient and comfort, take away makan.
Well, Johor tested it before and then it die a quiet death.
Ya, they tested in Iskandar Puteri for quite a while but after that, krik, krik, krik…
Hangat2 chicken poop
Johor dont want to spend, wants Fed Gomen to fund it.. ahaha cat & mouse game.
Anyone with a little brain will know this is a stupid idea. Accident and traffic jam will deter people from using this. Please build proper metro or MRT line instead
YOU should use CHINA AI to make babies for you
Already mention dedicated lane, u mabuk ka?
Smart tram on dedicated lanes, copying Melbourn perhaps.. Smting out of norm for Malaysia, gonna transform Kuching’s landscape though. And why suddenly so much craze about hydrogen fuel, Japs, Korean & the Chinese heavily investing on it. Fuel of the future?
Anwy the prototype looks like a real working tram.. lets see the trials..
Hydrogen production plant in the construction phase at my backyard. You may know the place I’m talking about.
Good to have ART for kuching folks, but why with Hydrogen power? Melbourne ART used electric solar powered.Please learned from 1.1M USD California H2 bus exploded last month.
Sarawak already have hydrodams, they grid is flooded wif excessive electricity. So its wise for em to convert to Hydrogen and reuse. Melbourne solar, doesn’t mean that the ART is with solar panels. They are constructing a solar farm to generate electricity.
U think Sarawak is ulu uh? It’s an advanced state bro. They have been operating Hydrogen bus for 3 over years. Way before others in the region. UK also started after Sarawak, Singapore produces Hydrogen fuel cells..
Congrats for kuching folks, but why with hydrogen power source? Even current Melbourne ART system using electric power solar…California lost 1.1M USD Hydrogen Bus got exploded last month.