KUCHING: Sarawak moves a step closer towards its drive to modernise the public transportation system with the arrival of the prototype unit of the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) today (August 5).
The hydrogen-powered ART arrived at Senari Terminal on board the vessel HF Spirit and berthed at around 8am, after the vessel set sail from Shanghai Port on July 15.
On hand to witness the historic arrival of the hydrogen-powered ART vehicle was the chairman of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr Abdul Aziz Datuk Husain.
Describing this historic moment as another milestone for Sarawak Metro, Abdul Aziz said the arrival of this prototype unit signified that Sarawak is a step closer towards realising the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project developed to modernise public transport.
“This is also another milestone for the government in its efforts to transform Sarawak into an advanced economy by 2030,” he said in a statement, issued by the Sarawak Metro, today.
Adding on, he said a modern public transport system is vital for the state’s development.
Abdul Aziz, who is also chairman of Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd, expressed confidence that once the ART starts its operation in two years’ time, Kuching’s socio-economic landscape will be significantly transformed as envisioned by the state’s top leaders.
“This project will definitely be a game changer for the State’s economic landscape,” he added.
The shipment consisted of a three-car set that will be assembled prior to the engineering run and the proof-of-concept exercise.
“On arrival in Kuching, the ART vehicle will be assembled at a warehouse at Senari Terminal,” he said.
Explaining further, Abdul Aziz said the assembly work is expected to be completed within two weeks.
The assembly work includes fitting the gangway, which will be carried out by the technical crew from CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co. Ltd. together with engineers and technicians from Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd.
Once assembled, the ART will undergo an engineering run for two months, starting September 1.
“This engineering run is important for us to refine the specification of the ART and also to identify any potential issues before we start with the Proof-of-Concept (POC) exercise.
“The POC exercise is for us to collect data to evaluate the feasibility of the prototype for the final design of the vehicle.
“During the engineering run and the POC exercise, the ART will mostly not carry any passengers. Rides on this prototype ART will only be held at certain times, and this is by invitation only and for selected stakeholders,” said Abdul Aziz.
The engineering run will be conducted at the Isthmus area, while the POC exercise will be held in November along a section of the Kuching Samarahan Expressway.
The site for the POC exercise is a 3-kilometre lane built between two roundabouts that have been converted into smart traffic light junctions. This stretch will be part of the permanent dedicated lane built for the ART Blue Line alignment.
Meanwhile, passenger service for the ART will commence in stages, starting in the fourth quarter of 2025 with the Blue Line that runs from Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in the centre of Kuching city.
Apart from the Blue Line, two other lines will be built under Phase 1 of the KUTS project: the Red Line (from Kuching Sentral to Pending) and the Green Line (from Pending to Damai Central). Phase 1 of the KUTS project is scheduled to be completed by 2027.
Among those present were Deputy State Secretary (Economic Planning and Development) Datuk Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, SEDC general manager Datuk Abdul Hadi Datuk Abdul Kadir, and Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Mazli Mustaffa.
