KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — The upcoming Bayan Lepas LRT line in Penang will be extended to Penang Sentral in Butterworth according to the Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow.
The project which was part of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) was supposed to end at the Tun Abdul Razak Complex (Komtar).
The expansion will connect the island and mainland section of the state
The minister said the new extension was proposed by MRT Corp who is overseeing the project, in a recent discussion with the state government.
The LRT route will connect the island and mainland section of the state through an elevated railway across the Penang Strait.
That being said, no rollout timeline has been mentioned though. Currently, the Bayan Lepas LRT line and the extension to Penang Sentral are waiting for approvals from the Cabinet.
Bayar Lepas LRT line will become the foundation of the island’s rail network
According to the original plan, the Bayan Lepas LRT line will cover a distance of 26.8km from the upcoming Penang South Islands to Komtar. Expected to cost almost RM10 billion, the new transit service will also feature 23 stations at selected points of interest including Penang Airport, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), and SPICE.
Aside from Penang Sentral, there has also been a proposal to extend the line from Komtar to Tanjung Bungah with 4 additional stations. However, Chow has said that the state government has been informed that the project can be kickstarted much faster by using the initial proposed plan.
In addition to the Bayan Lepas LRT line, the PTMP has plenty of other projects under its wings. The list also includes the Pan Island Link 1 highway, and the Ayer Itam -Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Highway Bypass.
The long-term plan also looks into establishing several rail transit routes within the island such as Ayer Itam Line, Tanjung Tokong Line, and George Town tram line. On the Seberang Perai side, several lines have been proposed as well including Raja Uda to Bukit Mertajam and Permatang Tinggi to Batu Kawan. — SoyaCincau
