Reduction Of LRT3 Station Sizes And Train Capacity Done According To Requirement - Ministry

PUTRAJAYA, July 17 (Bernama) -- The reduction in station sizes and train capacity for the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) project was done because Prasarana Malaysia’s management had previously proposed specifications which were beyond what was required, the Transport Ministry said Monday. In a statement Monday, the ministry said a revision of the specifications found that 22 sets of three-car trains were more than adequate to accommodate the current demand. According to the ministry, LRT stations should be designed to accommodate the actual ridership demand rather than to meet unrealistic targets resulting in a sharp increase in costs. "During peak periods, the maximum number of passengers per hour per direction (pphpd) forecasted is 6,185 for 2034. This amount can be accommodated by 22 sets of three-car trains which can carry 6,210 pphpd. The Ministry informed that the 22 sets of the trains included provisions for two sets for maintenance purposes and one for preparations to meet international standards. "In addition, to increase the capability to accommodate passengers after 2050, additional 3-car train sets could be purchased, while the LRT stations can also accommodate four-car train sets," it said. On the suspension of five stations due to a forecast ridership of below 1,500 passengers per day per in 2020, the ministry said they would be built progressively, according to increase in demand. The stations are Lien Hoe, Temasya, Persiaran Hishamuddin, SIRIM, Bukit Raja and Bandar Botanic "In addition, the re-design of the stations and facilities to be made available are based on the current standard of the Kelana Jaya LRT-line, which is more than adequate to accommodate the projected number of passengers," it said. The reduction of RM15 billion or 47 per cent from the original cost of RM31.6 billion to RM16.6 billion would translate to higher operational viability and cheaper fares, it added. --BERNAMA