MRT Corp has awarded a RM3.028 billion system turnkey contract for the Penang Mutiara LRT Line to a joint venture between Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) and Theta Edge Bhd, FMT reported.
The system turnkey contract covers seven major railway systems packages: electric trains and depot equipment, signalling and train control systems with automatic platform gates, trackwork and conductor rail, maintenance vehicles, power supply and distribution systems, telecommunications and IT systems, and the automatic fare collection system. It also includes the SCADA system and computerised maintenance management systems.
MRT Corp said the appointment will allow railway systems design to proceed in parallel with the ongoing construction of viaducts and stations from Silicon Island to Komtar. The corporation is managing the interface between civil construction and railway systems to keep both workstreams aligned towards overall project delivery.
Construction on the civil works package has reached several milestones. As of the latest update, 45 pile caps and 32 pier columns have been built, with work progressing across 14 of the planned 19 construction sections, according to details from Malay Mail. Construction reference drawings have been issued to the contractor while detailed designs are being finalised.
Ninety-three per cent of the land needed for the civil works package has been acquired. Soil investigation works have also started at the reclaimed Silicon Island site, paving the way for future depot construction. Separately, MRT Corp completed the removal of old structures at the Tapak Pesta site after the Penang state government handed it over in April, clearing the way for construction works to begin.
MRT Corp noted that Bumiputera participation in the civil works package has exceeded 20 per cent of the total contract value, which is worth more than RM8 billion. The corporation said SRS Consortium continues to award various subcontract packages for station construction and related works as activities expand across the project.
MRT Corp is also evaluating tenders for the Civil Main Contract 2 package, which covers the alignment extension from Komtar to Penang Sentral. The contract is expected to be awarded by November.
The Mutiara Line will feature 22 stations, including one at Penang Sentral in Butterworth. The station will be linked to Macallum Street on the island via a 6km cross-strait bridge. The project remains on track for its targeted commencement of operations in 2031.
