The cabinet has, in a meeting on July 5, approved a return to the original scope of the LRT3 Shah Alam Line project, which was announced in Budget 2024 by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister. This was announced by transport minister Anthony Loke at a visit to the upcoming line’s Pasar Jawa station in Klang today.
This means that the stations that were dropped from the line in 2018 for cost reasons – namely Tropicana (previously Lien Hoe), Temasya, Raja Muda (Sirim), Bukit Raja and Bandar Botanik – have been officially given the green light. A sixth location, which is a planned 2km tunnel including an underground station at Persiaran Hishamuddin in Shah Alam, remains cancelled.
Construction of these returning stations will go on after the LRT3 is up and running with 20 stations from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia in Q3 2025. The extra work will take another two years (ready in 2027) but will not affect operations, Loke said.
He explained that the cost to return LRT3 to its original scope is RM3.8 billion, but that sum isn’t just to build the five stations. Also included in the bill is the purchase of seven sets of three-car coaches, a larger train depot at Johan Setia and the purchase of 150 units of feeder buses. What’s different this time around is that the buses are electric powered, and the EVs will have three charging depots. There are also system and integration costs.
The Seremban MP said that the original scope did not include feeder buses, but this is an important aspect for first and last mile connectivity. He added that the return and expansion of the LRT3 scope proves the government’s commitment to improve our public transport system.
“We are committed to ensure that the addition of LRT3 will boost public transport usage, especially in the Klang Valley,” he said, adding that the LRT3 line has a 300,000 per day capacity. While it will take time for ridership to rise to a high level (LRT Kelana Jaya Line is at 280k now, MRT Putrajaya Line 150k), the LRT Shah Alam Line does cuts through some very highly populated areas – see the map above.
GALLERY: LRT3 Shah Alam Line Pasar Jawa station, and the train
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