Najmuddin said MRT Corp has appointed an independent consultant to study the plan, for which its first report is expected to be ready in the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of next year. ― Picture by Saw Siow Feng

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 ― Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) is in the midst of planning to build the third Klang Valley MRT Line that will shorten travel time within the capital.

Director of Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah said MRT Corp has appointed an independent consultant to study the plan, for which its first report is expected to be ready in the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of next year.

"Based on the findings, we can share more information on the route," he told a media briefing on the update of the Klang Valley MRT project here today.

He said the third line, which would be a circular track and not a long stretch, would provide services around the city centre besides becoming a fully underground passage.

Meanwhile, he said as many as 58 trains earmarked for the first and second phases of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) Line were expected to arrive in stages by year-end and would undergo an intensive testing period from Oct 1.

"For the first phase of the SBK Line, 24 trains will be used in which 18 trains will cater to daily operations, while the rest will be used as reserve trains for emergencies.

"So far, we have received more than 40 trains from our earlier order ahead of schedule and they are undergoing the process of fitting and setting such as installing the seats," he said.

The first phase of the SBK Line from the Sungai Buloh station to the Sematan Station will begin operations in December, while the remaining route from the Sematan Station to the Kajang Station will be operational in July 2017.

The RM23 billion project, which spans 51 kilometers, will have 31 stations and is currently 89 per cent completed.

Najmuddin said the fares for the SBK Line would announced by the government in due course. ― Bernama