KUALA LUMPUR – The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Putrajaya Phase One line will not be open for revenue service in November 2021 as scheduled due to incomplete testing, said Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim.
Zarif said the line may be ready for revenue service in the second quarter of 2022.
He said MRT trains have clocked up 3,000 hours of trial operations and a large amount of data has been gathered.
“Having gone through the data ourselves, we detected that out of hundreds of subsystem modules being implemented, two modules require further refinement.
“We need to ensure all primary, secondary, and tertiary layers of the systems are stable before we take possession of the asset and clear it for operations,” he told a media conference here.
Trial operations for the MRT Putrajaya Phase One section have been ongoing since April 29, 2021.
A total of 16 trains have been running between the Kwasa Damansara and Skampung MRT stations in full-service mode, but without passengers, to stimulate actual operations.
Zarif said the company has been conducting many trial operations, including final detailed inspections.
The refinement of the subsystem is necessary to rectify the tertiary data issue, he said, adding that this is to ensure that the service can operate impeccably.
“So we have no other choice except to delay the opening of the MRT Putrajaya Phase One line.
“As a result, MRT Corp is not able to take possession of the MRT Putrajaya Phase One line asset from the appointed turnkey contractor,” Zarif said.
Zarif said the MRT3 Circle Line project is also still on the table.
“We are finalising the funding plan with the government. Give us more time to finalise the plan and we hope to come back to you early next year,” he said.
He expects the tender for the project to open by the third quarter of 2022. – Bernama, November 16, 2021
