THE Affin Hwang Capital Group, comprising of their clients from MNRB Holdings Berhad, VCAP Asset Managers Sdn Bhd and several other clients visited the MRT Project on 10 August 2017.

The visit included a walkabout of the MRT Operations Control Centre (OCC), Sungai Buloh and a train ride on the MRT.

To begin proceedings for the day, Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd (Rapid Rail) Rail Engineering Head Encik Ramli Shafie welcomed the attendees to the OCC.

Here, he gave a short presentation about the project structure of the MRT service.

He explained that Rapid Rail is the operator for the trains whereas Rapid Bus is the operator for the feeder bus services provided in the MRT service. Both of these organisations are subsidiaries of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (PRASARANA).

Besides operating the MRT service, Rapid Rail is also the operator of the LRT Ampang and Sri Petaling Lines, LRT Kelana Jaya Line and KL Monorail. The sum of all these services accumulate to a total of 150.9km in length.

Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations Director Dato’ Najmuddin Abdullah then took over the floor by giving a brief explanation about the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) Line and provided in-depth information about the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) Line.

He mentioned that the current project progress is at 10.75%. The project progress is on track for completion of the first phase by the second quarter of 2021 whilst the entire operations of the line is for the second quarter of 2022.

For the underground section of the project, Najmuddin explained that 10 tunnel boring machines (TBM) that were used for the SBK Line will be used for the SSP Line. In addition to that, 2 other TBMs have been purchased by MRT Corp and will be brought over from China by the end of August 2017. Works for the underground section will begin in the first quarter of 2018.

Before proceeding to the train ride, Rapid Rail MRT SBK Line Operations Control Centre Head Puan Sofiah Hussein presented the features of the OCC.

Talking about the OCC from the viewing deck, she explained that this is the hub of where all trains are monitored on the SBK Line. Every train activity is monitored here and that individuals working in the OCC will manage to control each of the trains. Pocket tracks at Phileo Damansara and Maluri MRT Stations have also been built for extra trains to be deployed, if needed at very short notice.

The visit ended with a special feeder bus heading to the Kampung Selamat Station for the delegates to head to the Maluri MRT Station.