THE Kuching light rail transit system, using hydrogen-powered trains, is expected to cost RM11 billion and be operational by 2024.

Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg, in a press conference to announce the LRT’s routes, said construction will start next year on three of the proposed six lines.

He said the other three lines – whose terminuses will be in the gold-mining town of Bau, coastal village of Telaga Air and the outer ring road in Samarahan – will be built “at a later date”.

“The construction of the lines is expected to take five years, depending on the procurement strategy, and also allowing for long lead items, such as rolling stock manufacture and delivery.”

The first line will start in Rembus near the town of Kota Samarahan in Samarahan division, and end in Damai, Santubong.

The 62.4km line will meet 48% of Kuching city’s travel demands, and have 28 stations.

The second line, the longest of the three to be constructed first, will start from the market town of Serian and end in the industrial port area of Senari.

This route meets 30% of Kuching’s travel demands. It will measure 82km long and have 26 stations.

The third line – the city dispersal line – is the shortest, at 10.8km with 13 stations.

Abang Johari said the city dispersal line will be an “at-grade tram system, which can better navigate urban streets, has less intrusive stops, and integrates well with the concept of a pedestrianised urban landscape”.

The LRT project has been slammed by state opposition chief and Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen as “Abang Jo’s hot air”.

Chong has questioned how the state will source the funds for the multi-billion-ringgit project.

However, Abang Johari, in defending the project, has shown, in figures distributed to members of the media, that daily ridership for the decade from 2024 to 2034 is forecast to increase from around 12,000 PPHPD, or person per hour per direction, in 2024 to around 18,000 PPHPD.

The Kota Samarahan-Damai line will serve 752,000 people in 2024, for a daily ridership of 71,000, and up to 911,000 people in 2034, for a daily ridership of 183,000.

Kuching is the largest of the four major population centres in Sarawak, with Greater Kuching, which includes Samarahan and Serian divisions, currently having a population of 908,400.

Abang Johari said based on the recent Kuching Urban Transport Study, the LRT will cut travel time from major developed areas within the city district to the city centre to under 30 minutes, while travelling from Kota Samarahan to Kuching will take 50 minutes, as compared with the current 90 minutes by road.

He said the project is expected to create 20,919 jobs once it is fully operational.

“The LRT will realise efficient mobility in Kuching, create economic opportunities, enable trade, and facilitate access to markets and services.

“At the same time, it will help transform Kuching into a more dynamic and competitive city, and create more jobs.”

He said the LRT will link dense residential and industrial areas, businesses, tourism hotspots and new transit-oriented developments (TODs), which will drive Kuching’s economic development.

“The TODs along the corridor will be examined and incorporated, in line with the state’s development plans.

“The development of the LRT is expected to provide benefits in terms of time saved, money saved due to lower annual vehicle operating costs, and creating job opportunities, among others.” – March 29, 2018.