MRT project moves into active construction phase

By Bernama Wednesday, 01 August 2012 15:00

PETALING JAYA (Aug 1): Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) announced on Wednesday the country's biggest infrastructure project — the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Mass Rapid Transit Line — is on schedule. The project has moved from preparatory work to active construction phase, MRT Corp director of strategic communications and public relations Amir Mahmood Razak said. Since finalisation of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang alignment in July last year, planning, design and preparatory works for construction have been in full swing, he said. So far, 33 packages worth RM15.5 billion have been awarded for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line 1 package, he said. He said MRT Corp would announce by year-end new projects for the Sungai Buloh to Kajang Line 1, which would include train purchases, V8 viaduct and construction of stations. "The deadline for phase one operations of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line 1, that runs from Sungai Buloh to Semantan, is on December 2016. The package is on schedule. "The phase two from Semantan to Kajang will be operational in July 2017,” he told a media briefing on Wednesday. Amir said three companies — two from China and one German firm — have submitted tenders for supply of trains. "The results of the bid will be known in a couple of weeks,” he said. New technologies in rail transport have the capacity to neutralise noise in rail track construction, he said when responding to concerns raised by Taman Tun Dr Ismail residents. They complained that they would have to suffer from noise pollution once the elevated MRT tracks were built. Amir said MRT Corp would continue to engage stakeholders and property owners affected by the massive construction work. On project financing, he said, Danainfra Nasional Bhd recently issued a RM8 billion sukuk financing programme to partly finance the MRT project. — Bernama