THE Mutiara Light Rail Transit (LRT) line project can be expanded to Tanjung Bungah to Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan on the mainland Prai if there is a high take-up rate.
MRT Corporation, business planning and project economics general manager Liyana Zainal, said currently, the 29.5km long line with 21 stations is mostly centred around the island with an overpass bridge link to the Penang Sentral transport hub in Butterworth.
There is potential to increase the alignment towards Tanjung Bungah due to its tourism and residential area, while Batu Kawan is the state's new industrial hub, and Bukit Mertajam retains its potential as a logistic dispersal hub in the state.
“It could be extended to Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan, and of course upwards (on the mainland),” Liyana said of the rail line’s potential expansion, adding that about 400,000 people commuted daily between the island and mainland, while more than six million tourists visited Penang annually by land and by sea.
“Of the daily commuters, 62% travel by car and 34% by motorcycle, while another 6,000 to 7,000 people use ferry services each day.
“It is therefore important to consider the more than six million tourists annually, as well as the 400,000 daily commuters travelling between the island and mainland.
“This sizeable population will contribute to LRT ridership, demonstrating strong demand and justifying the need for the Mutiara Line,” she said.
Liyana said this while attending the Rail Link conference in Penang.
Meanwhile, the Mutiara Line LRT stations at the Penang International Airport and Bandar Sri Pinang are seeing the fastest construction progress along the alignment since January.
For the Penang International Airport station site, construction of station piers and the viaduct is progressing well, with five piers already taking shape, while at the Bandar Sri Pinang station, foundation and column works have been completed.
Construction activities along the 23.7km alignment from Komtar to Silicon Island are expected to intensify in the second half of the year.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, when closing the conference, called on the rail Link advocates to help the state change the mindset of the local commuters from relying on personal transport to public use, notably rail links. - June 9, 2026.
