LRT3 scheduled to begin operation on Sept 30 -- MOT

The Ministry of Transport, in a written response posted on the Parliament website on Wednesday, said that to date, the overall progress of the project, which spans from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia, has reached 98.16 per cent.

The ministry also mentioned that train operation tests without passengers will be conducted in two stages to ensure the LRT3 service is safe for users.

"These two tests cover compliance, durability, and safety of the rail system and standard operating procedures (SOPs). They involve a trial run (TR) that will be conducted concurrently with the fault free run (FFR) test by the project's main contractor, Setia Utama LRT3 Sdn Bhd," it said.

The test period is estimated to be 75 days, and the results of the FFR test will be evaluated by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) in terms of safety, standard compliance, and specific rail system guarantees," according to the MOT.

The ministry was replying to a question from Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam), who requested clarification on the current status of the LRT3 project, the duration of the trial run without passengers, and whether it is on target for full operation by the third quarter of 2025.

The MOT informed that the TR/FFR tests are expected to begin in mid-April and finish by the end of June 2025.

After the TR and FFR tests are completed and approved by APAD, a trial operation (TO) will be conducted by Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd as the licensed rail operator, with technical support from the main contractor.

"The estimated duration for the TO test is 60 days. The TO test is expected to begin in July and conclude by the end of August 2025," it said.