Big news! Rumours of the extension of the Kelana Jaya LRT line past its Kelana Jaya terminal were topped by the Deputy PM's announcement that, not only will it be extended all the way to USJ, there'll also be a new line running from the city centre through Damansara Heights to Kota Damansara.

The other end of this new line will reach all the way to the heavily populated area of Cheras! The Sri Petaling arm of the erstwhile called Star line will also be extended to reach another heavily populated area, Puchong -- brilliant idea!

I don't know whether I'm being middle-class/suburban-centric, but it seems that finally, these LRT lines are beginning to make sense, instead of running through boondocks areas. The only thing needed now are parts approximating to a circle line to link up the radial fingers of this network....

Hang on! There are the new monorail lines that were announced not too long ago. Give us some time and we'll try to superimpose this hypothetical scenario for you (new LRT line and extension slated for 2010).

In the meantime, you can read the article in The Star about this news at this link, or from the pasted text below.

Quoted from The Star, Nation, Wednesday August 30, 2006 

Rail travel expansion

By MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR

PUTRAJAYA: A new light rail transit line linking Kota Damansara and Cheras will be running in four years’ time, and the present LRT networks expanded, under a special RM10bil Government allocation for an efficient and cost-effective public transport system in the Klang Valley. 

The new line will cover some 30km and cut across Kuala Lumpur.  

The Kelana Jaya line (formerly Putra LRT) will be extended to Subang Jaya and USJ, while the Sri Petaling line (formerly Star LRT) will cover Puchong. 

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who made the announcement, said Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (SPNB) – the holding company under Ministry of Finance Incorporated – had tabled its public transportation plan in the Klang Valley up to 2010. 

SPNB owns the rail lines as well as the Cityliner and Intrakota buses operated by Rapid KL. 

“Rapid KL will get 1,130 buses and repair its present fleet of 600 buses. So by the first quarter of next year, Rapid KL will have more than 1,700 buses plying bus routes within the Klang Valley,” he told newsmen after chairing the first meeting of the Cabinet committee on public transportation.  

Also present was Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy. 

To enhance the bus service, SPNB and Rapid KL will provide shuttle services to housing estates within the Klang Valley. 

Najib hoped that with all the new elements in place, public transportation in the Klang Valley would be a fully integrated system comprising the LRT, monorail, commuter train, Express Rail Link and buses. 

The new and extended LRT lines and more buses on the road will boost the Government’s effort to increase public transport usage in the Klang Valley. The average number of daily passengers for rail-related transport barely reached 450,000 last year. 

“The low percentage of city folks using public transport is one of the contributing factors to traffic congestion,” the Deputy Prime Minister said, adding that the Government wanted to increase the percentage of public transport passengers from 11% to 40% to be in line with big cities worldwide.  

Najib also said that the RM4.4bil the Government was supposed to have saved when it slashed fuel subsidies, the savings to be channelled to improving public transport, had been wiped out by escalating global fuel prices. 

“So this money (RM10bil) is a special allocation because the Government is committed to improving the system,” he added. 

SPNB chief executive officer Shaipuddin Shah Harun said the cost to build the new line and two extensions was estimated at RM7bil. 

However, he said, the company was still studying how best to connect the new line between Kota Damansara and Cheras to the existing lines and the extensions from Kelana Jaya and USJ and from Sri Petaling to Puchong. 

“We are still studying the geographical area where the lines would run, the suitability of each station, the cost and time to construct the project,” he added. 

He said, for example, there were several options for the line between Kelana Jaya and USJ. 

“The study to identify the potential routes started three months ago. We are half way through it. The final report should be completed in October,” he added. 

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Dominic Wong - Extension to Cheras IP:60.49.241.98 | 2006-09-13 03:28:58 Extension to Cheras Area MUST cover taman like Tmn midah, Tmn Segar, Tmn Pertama, the link from Ampang to Tmn Connaught is inconvenient to many people from those listed tamans. Besides, the existing line is already serving people from Bandar Tun Razak, why should we build another station in the same area!

streetwalker - re: extension to cheras IP:218.111.180.186 | 2006-09-13 04:36:56 Actually, the link from the Ampang & Sri Petaling line looks like it emerges from somewhere around the Maluri station, not the Ampang station. Given that, and the fact that they will likely build the line and stations on road reserve land/boundaries, my guess is that it would likely first go through Tmn Pertama then Tmn Midah. Then however, if the Star article's map is to be believed, it might go through Bdr Tun Razak near Jln Tenteram before crossing eastwards towards Tmn Connaught and Plaza Phoenix. If that's true, I agree that Bdr Tun Razak is already quite well served with the ex-Star line, and they would do better to run along east of the MRR2. Of course, best is to hug Jln Cheras, I guess, because that's where most activity is concentrated. Bangkok manages to run its Skytrain along the city's main roads. I don't know why KL has to depend on road reserves/boondocks areas / people's back gardens which the general public have no idea of (eg Kampung Baru LRT station)...!

living in boondocks - who does public transport serv IP:219.95.157.139 | 2006-09-20 15:48:18 "I don't know whether I'm being middle-class/suburban-centric, but it seems that finally, these LRT lines are beginning to make sense, instead of running through boondocks areas." Those 'boondocks' stops of Star LRT that you refer, to serve a large number of the lower-income working-class of Kuala Lumpur. It is offensive to be frank. You know ....People who probably make your tea, or stitch the shoes that you are wearing now, who can ill-afford cabs or cars. It makes me ponder - who should be prioritised in the current all-too-chic promotion of public transport? Shouldn't it be for those who would find it difficult to move around? Or those in air-conditioned suburbia who'd jump into a train for a change in scenery?

Writer IP:218.111.182.18 | 2006-09-20 23:08:14 I don't mean that lower-income working-class areas shouldn't be served. It's just that stations should be in high-traffic/visibility areas, to be used by the masses, running through trunk roads rather than back lanes. For example, the Skytrain in Bangkok runs through its busiest main roads, rather than through back ways. As such, one can identify better with the public transport route, rather than those whose neighbourhood happens to have had a station built in it. Take for example Sentul station. Many people have no idea where it is, compared to if it was built right on Jalan Ipoh or Jalan Sentul! Even for lower-income working class areas, public transport should not have to go straight through people's houses but through the public areas, from which commuters may then walk to or take a feeder bus to their homes. That is the only way to serve the greatest majority.

streetwalker - New lrt line in Cheras Registered | 2007-09-26 06:17:32 On behalf of another reader, am posting his/her query followed by our response: Almost 1 year had passed. Had the new LRT route line for Cheras had been finalised ? Please provide me on the map of the new line. (initial draft also can)

streetwalker - re: New lrt line in Cheras Registered | 2007-09-26 06:21:34 Sorry for the late reply. Have tried to get some more direct info on this. Somebody from the asset owner has said that of course the Cheras LRT line is finalised but declined to reveal its alignment, except that it's not very different from what has been publicised before (see basic map from The Star above). Suffice to say too, that it will as usual follow the land that is available, i.e. road reserve land or next to a river, or following power cables, something like that. Will keep you posted if there's anything else... cheers!

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