LRT project to include stop at Penang International Airport

THE proposed RM10.5 billion Mutiara light rail transit (LRT) system will include a stop at the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas after all, as part of its 28km-long route.

In a briefing given by the project delivery partner (MRT Corp), the Mutiara line will begin from Penang Sentral in Butterworth before it crosses over the Penang Channel to the Macallum residences off Weld Quay before reaching the Silicon Island off Batu Maung.

There would be an extension to the airport where a station would be set up at the present multi-storey carpark across the airport’s terminal, said a MRT spokesman.

One notable confirmation is that the LRT infrastructure would be elevated and multi-storey stations would be constructed – similar to the present LRT lines in Kuala Lumpur.

Due to an acute shortage of land, the LRT has to be elevated, said the spokesman.

The engineering mastery would be in constructing a rail line across the Penang Channel, spanning 11km and in building elevated towers through the town’s narrow roads.

There are altogether 22 boarding stations with the state administrative centre – Komtar in George Town – regarded as the main one.

Due to its design, the rail can eventually be extended to the suburban enclaves of Tanjung Bungah and Air Itam, he said during a visit to the MRT booth at the Madani community outreach programme at the Sg Nibong Pesta site here.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke earlier said that the link to Penang Sentral enables the facility to consolidate as the northern region transport hub with dispersal services provided by express buses and ETS railway link routes to all parts of the country.

State executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari and Lord Mayor as well as Penang Island City Council president Datuk Anthony Rajendran also visited the MRT booth.

Rajendran said that the LRT is designed to help ease the present congestion.

Before the LRT becomes operational, with construction slated to only start next year, the mayor urged road users to car pool and consider taking the bus when commuting. 

There needs to be a proactive stance by commuters if they want to escape the present congestion, which has become a daily occurrence throughout the state. – The Vibes, May 6, 2024.