by HARIZAH KAMEL/ pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL
MASS Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has appointed Arup Jururunding Sdn Bhd to operate the nation’s first major railway asset condition assessment in a contract worth nearly RM2.7 million.
The commission will examine the condition of assets on the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (SBK Line), Arup said in a statement yesterday.
“Arup will assess the current asset condition and their rates of deterioration, providing a basis for proactive asset management in the future,” the engineering and advisory services company said.
It will also help MRT Corp develop its strategic asset management framework which enhances the line’s performance through a more joined-up approach.
The Klang Valley MRT (KVMRT) SBK Line was fully opened in July 2017. Construction of the KVMRT project and the SBK Line first received government approval in December 2010.
The 51km line begins in Sungai Buloh — located to the north-west of Kuala Lumpur — and runs underground for 9.5km through Kuala Lumpur’s city centre before ending in Kajang. It has 31 stations, of which seven are underground while the rest of the alignment is elevated. Each train serving the line has four cars with a total capacity of 1,200 passengers. Daily ridership is estimated at about 400,000 passengers.
MRT Corp head of assets and facilities management Mohamed Shuhaidi Omar said the company is confident to have Arup on board to impart detailed insight into the asset’s lifecycle and health status.
“We can now plan an appropriate adaptation of maintenance regimes that would be more cost-effective as we deliver a safe, fast and good rail network for commuters around the Klang Valley,” he said.
Arup Malaysia principal and South-East Asia consulting lead Stefan Sanders added that the company has played an active role in many city-shaping projects in Malaysia for more than five decades, and has been recently involved in rail developments.
“We look forward to collaborating with more clients in the public and private sectors to identify new revenue, manage their risks and improve their performance to shape a more successful business or operational model,” Sanders said.