First segment of Penang’s Mutiara LRT line will cost at least RM8.3b — here’s what we know so far

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke today witnessed MRT Corporation sign the contract that would see SRS Consortium build the first segment of Penang’s first light rail transit (LRT) line.

The minimum estimated cost of construction of the first segment alone would be RM8.31 billion, without accounting for land acquisition.

Loke said the government will reveal the additional costs from time to time as the project develops.

A total of three tenders have been opened for the project.

Tender 1

The first tender will be the heaviest lifting for the consortium, a 60:20:20 joint venture among Gamuda Bhd, Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd, and Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd. The consortium was picked by the Penang state government in 2015 through open bidding.

The contract for package 1 will be the civil main construction of 19 stations stretching from south to north of Penang Island, among others. This segment spans from Penang South Reclamation Island -A (PSR-A) to Komtar.

Total alignment (viaduct) length will be 29.5km. PSR-A to Komtar will be 23.7km for a single direction while PSR-A to Penang Sentral will be 28.4km in single direction.

Tender 2

The second package will be the civil main contract for Segment 2, which covers the extension of the alignment from Macallum to Penang Sentral on Seberang Prai, covering 6km. This includes a 3.2 km sea-crossing bridge with navigational spans for vessels accessing Penang ports.

Gamuda deputy group managing director Datuk Ir Paul Ha Tiing Tai (2nd left) and MRT Corp CEO Datuk Mohd Zarif Mohd Hashim (2nd right) pose for a group photo during the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between MRT Mutiara and the SRS Consortium, witnessed by Transport Minister Anthony Loke at Menara I&P 1 in Kuala Lumpur on January 13, 2025. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

The Macallum to Penang Sentral alignment will be 5.78km long, with the marine viaduct section spanning some 3.06km. The Macallum station to Komtar will be 0.46km long.

The tender for Segment 2 is expected to begin in the third quarter of this year. Loke said the tender bidding for Segment 2 was highly competitive with bidders both from domestic and international firms.

Tender 3

The third package, the Systems Turnkey Contract (STC), encompasses the design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, and maintenance of railway systems.

The tender opened on December 13 2024 following a well-attended briefing in Penang on December 12, MRT Corp said. Submissions are due by April 14 this year, with a second tender briefing scheduled for 14 January 2025 in Kuala Lumpur.

MRT Corp said the third package has also garnered strong interest from both local and international companies.

Other information

There will be three interchange stations, Komtar being one as the state mulls future metro lines. Macallum is the second to interchange between Penang Sentral and Komtar. The third will be Penang Sentral connecting with KTM Komuter and ETS, possibly interchanging with future metro lines.

Meanwhile there will be over 1,000 car parking bays at the line’s Park N Ride facilities, and over 1,000 motorcycle parking bays.

Passenger capacity, 405 passengers can fit per train car. Train frequency would be at estimated four-minute intervals in initial years. They will be driverless electric trains, with Grade of Automation 3.