KUALA LUMPUR: The Klang Valley MRT project kicked off its second phase following the ground-breaking ceremony of the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line (SSP Line) today.

The latest venture by the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) will have a 52.2km line to support 37 stations, including two proposed stations at Technology Park and Taman Universiti.

The line, stretching from Sungai Buloh to Putrajaya, includes a 13.5km underground track to support 11 of the stations.

"It will begin in Sungai Buloh, and go through Kepong and Batu as it passes through the town centre to Sungai Besi, Serdang, Seri Kembangan and Cyberjaya before ending at Putrajaya Sentral.

"It is expected to have a daily ridership of 529,000 passengers on completion," MRT Corp strategic communication and stakeholder relations director Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah told reporters at a special briefing on the project on Tuesday.

The project will cost RM32 billion, which is RM9 billion more than MRT's first Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (SBK Line) due to the longer underground track and several expansion works being carried out for both lines, he said.

"Besides expanding the Sungai Buloh depot, there will also be a mini-depot in Serdang to support the train service continuity along the route.

"The SSP Line will also have 9,200 park and ride bays at 15 stations for commuter convenience," he said.

Phase One of the SSP Line, between Sungai Buloh and Kampung Batu station, is expected to be operational by July 2021, while the entire line is expected to be ready by July 2022.

He said the SSP Line will have 12 interchanges along its route for better interconnectivity.

Besides connectivity with the existing services like the Light Rapid Transit, KL Monorail and Express Rail Link, there will also be an interchange station at Bandar Malaysia South for the High-Speed Rail (HSR) in future, he added.

MRT Corp has so far awarded 23 out of 73 work packages worth RM24 billion to various contractors, with initial works having started in June.

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

The RM23 billion project, which spans 51km, will have 31 stations and is currently 89% completed.