Back on track: Axed in 2018, LRT3 with five stations returns with new RM21.93b budget

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — The Light Rail Transit Line 3 (LRT3) project from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia in Klang is now expected to cost RM21.93 billion, Parliament was told today.

This sharp increase follows the Anwar administration’s decision to bring back five stations cancelled in 2018 as part of a cost-saving exercise by the Mahathir government.

The five revived stations – Tropicana, Temasya, Raja Muda, Bukit Raja, and Bandar Botanik – adds RM5.3 billion to the project.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah confirmed the amount exceeds the RM4.7 billion estimate initially presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the 2024 Budget proposal last year.

“This brings the total LRT3 project cost to RM21.93 billion, still significantly lower than the original RM31.65 billion budget estimated during the Barisan Nasional administration,” Hasbi said in the Dewan Rakyat.

The LRT3 project, first announced in 2015, has undergone multiple budget renegotiations, with its initial cost halved to RM16.63 billion following the 2018 rationalisation exercise.

Hasbi also said that Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, the owner-operator of LRT3, is currently ironing out the financial and technical details with a supplementary contract agreement expected early next year.

Physical construction for the stations is scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2025, with all five locations expected to reach completion by the end of 2027.

“The construction will take approximately two years, with completion anticipated by the fourth quarter of 2027. The stations are expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2028,” Hasbi said.

He added that in order to ensure first and last mile connectivity is smooth, the government has purchased a total of 150 electric buses.

The revival of the five LRT3 stations was announced back in July by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who said the project is expected to be operational in 2027.

According to Loke, the LRT3 project was 91.68 per cent complete as of December 25, 2023 and the LRT Shah Alam line was expected to start operating from March 1 next year.