Putrajaya Corporation will not proceed with Automated Rail Transit (ART) due to costs – PM’s department

Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) will not proceed with the proposed trackless tram, or Automated Rail Transit (ART) system in Putrajaya, as implementation costs are deemed to be too high, reported Bernama.

Preliminary studies have found that the estimated cost of implementing the Automated Rail Transit system, including infrastructure development, systems, operations and maintenance would reach RM211.95 million over a period of 10 years, said deputy minister in the prime minister’s department (federal territories) Datuk Lo Su Fui.

This cost is beyond the financial capacity of Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) as the local authority. On this basis, PPj will not proceed with the ART implementation in Putrajaya, and there are no plans to expand the line in the next phase,” Lo said.

However, PPj remains open to considering public transport planning needs in the future. This is subject to financial capacity and allocation approvals, in particular to achieve the target of 70% public transport usage, Lo added.

The ART trackless tram system was trialled in the administrative capital from May to July 2024, and was run as a pilot project by Putrajaya Corporation to complement the current transport network. The tram accommodated up to 307 passengers at a time, and was capable of a top speed of 70 km/h.