Johor government to go with autonomous rapid transit (ART) for Johor Bahru due to lower cost than LRT

Sarawak’s hydrogen-powered ART system

According to a report by Bernama, the Johor state government is opting to build an autonomous rapid transit (ART) system in Johor Bahru instead of a light rail transit (LRT) proposed initially due to cost considerations

State executive councillor Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the ART system is estimated to cost RM7 billion, which is less than the LRT that would cost RM16.7 billion. He added that these valuations were based on an analysis comparing the two transport systems after a presentation by two consortia proposing the projects.

At a recent 15th Johor legislative assembly (DUN) meeting, Fazli said the LRT system required a new design for the elevated section in addition to requiring the approval of the railway scheme. “For the infrastructure of depots and LRT stations, it requires the acquisition of land for the depot in Desa Jaya and the acquisition of five acres of land for the track for switching/shunting,” he added.

In addition to cost, another consideration of the state government is to have the transport system be developed and completed by the end of December 2026, coinciding with the start date of the rapid transit system (RTS) operation that links Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru to Woodlands, Singapore.

“Congestion will occur at the Bukit Chagar RTS station if the passenger dispersal service is not completed in line with the start of RTS operations. Thus, the state government supports the proposed construction of an elevated ART to be developed in Johor Bahru to replace the bus rapid transit (BRT) that was cancelled by the federal government earlier,” said Mohamad Fazli.

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