Ampang Line

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Ampang Line Aliran Ampang

A 6-car General Electric EMU (No. 1138) at SP25 Masjid Jamek

No. of stations 25 Type Light Rail Transit Line length 27 km Service Area Sentul - Kuala Lumpur - Ampang/Sri Petaling Rolling Stock Adtranz Ticketing TnG, Store Value Ticket & Monthly Pass Operational Mode With driver Operator RapidKL Owner Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad

SP31 Sentul Timur SP30 Sentul SP29 Titiwangsa  KML   RSL & SPL  SP28 PWTC <> Putra SP27 Sultan Ismail SP26 Bandaraya <> Bank Negara  RSL & SPL   KJL & KCL  SP25 Masjid Jamek  KJL & KCL  SP24 Plaza Rakyat  KML  SP23 Hang Tuah  KML  SP22 Pudu SP21 Chan Sow Lin SP20 Cheras SP19 Salak Selatan SP18 Bandar Tun Razak  KTL   RSL  SP17 Bandar Tasik Selatan  KTL   RSL  SP16 Sungai Besi SP15 Bukit Jalil SP14 Sri Petaling SP13 Bukit OUG  APL Extension  SP12 Kampung Muhibbah (Jalil City) SP11 Bandar Kinrara 1 (Bukit Kinrara 9) SP10 Bandar Kinrara 2 (Giant Hypermarket) SP9 Bandar Kinrara 3 (Puncak Kinrara) SP8 Puchong Jaya (IOI Mall) SP7 Pusat Bandar Puchong (Tesco Hypermarket) SP6 Batu 12 (Rakan Muda Complex) SP5 Puchong Utama (Tractors Malaysia) SP4 Puchong Perdana SP3 Puchong Prima SP2 Kampung Seri Aman  KJL Extension  SP1 Putra Height (Giant Hypermarket) S07 Miharja  KCL  S06 Maluri  KCL  S05 Pandan Jaya S04 Pandan Indah S03 Cempaka S02 Cahaya Depot S01 Ampang

The Ampang Line is one of the two lines in Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System network operated by RapidKL Rail network. The other rail network is the Kelana Jaya Line.

Other rail-based public transport modes in Kuala Lumpur include the KL Monorail, KTM Komuter and Express Rail Link.

The line consists of two sub-lines, with one major leg of the line is shared:

• Sentul Timur to Chan Sow Lin (shared stations between the two sub-lines
• Chan Sow Lin to Ampang
• Chan Sow Lin to Sri Petaling

Contents 1 Nomenclature 2 Lines and stations 2.1 Stations between Sentul Timur and Chan Sow Lin 2.2 Stations between Chan Sow Lin and Ampang 2.3 Stations between Chan Sow Lin and Sri Petaling 3 Connection to other railway systems 4 Rolling stock 5 History and timeline 5.1 Accidents 6 Extensions 7 See also 8 References 9 External links 9.1 Route Maps

[edit] Nomenclature

The system has assumed multiple names throughout its service. Initially known as STAR (Malay: Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan; English: Light Rail Transit System), the STAR LRT or the STAR Line, the system was renamed in 2005 to refer to system's two sub-lines: the Sri Petaling and Ampang Lines. In April 2007, the entire system was renamed the Ampang Line as one common line, with no official names given to the sub-lines.

[edit] Lines and stations

The Ampang Line consists of two routes at a total length of 27 kilometres that begin at two different stations at the south, meeting at an interchange station and ending at the same station at the north. The Ampang-Sentul Timur line begins at Ampang, while the Sri Petaling-Sentul Timur line begins at Sri Petaling. Both lines converge at Chan Sow Lin; the merged line leads to the north, terminating at Sentul Timur. The Ampang-Sultan Ismail route was the first phase of the system to open, on December 16, 1995, with the second stretch from the Chan Sow Lin station to the Sri Petaling station operational on July 11, 1998, primarily for accessibility to the National Sports Complex during the 1998 Commonwealth Games via the Bukit Jalil station. The latest phase between the Sultan Ismail station and the Sentul Timur station was opened on December 6, 1998.

The line between the Plaza Rakyat station to the Sentul Timur station is strictly elevated, with the line between the Bandaraya station to the Titiwangsa station running along the Gombak River. The Chan Sow Lin-Ampang line is primarily surface leveled, while the Chan Sow Lin-Plaza Rakyat line and the Sri Petaling-Chan Sow Lin line use a combination of surface leveled and elevated tracks. There are no subway lines in the system.

The system includes a total of 25 stations: eleven along the Chan Sow Lin-Sentul Timur line, and seven along the Ampang-Chan Sow Lin line and the Sri Petaling-Chan Sow Lin line each. The service depot and primary train depot for the system is situated before the Ampang terminal station and the end of the Ampang-bound line. A secondary train depot is located after the Sri Petaling station.

Unlike existing metre gauge railway lines that span the country, Ampang Line tracks are standard gauge, the first railway system in the country to adopt standard gauge. The line between Ampang-Chan Sow Lin-Plaza Rakyat and Chan Sow Lin-Salak Selatan were formerly part of the Malayan Railway network (Ampang/Sultan Street branch), closed down in the 1960s (between the present Chan Sow Lin station and the present Plaza Rakyat) and the early 1990s (the remaining portion of the line). The Ampang depot is built on the site of the former Ampang railway station.

Ridership on the line has been far below expectations. Built with a capacity of 500,000 passengers per day^[1] and a breakeven point of 170,000 passengers per day^[2], in 1998, two years after launch, the line was only averaging 53,000 passengers per day.^[2] In 2002, STAR LRT was taken over by the government-owned Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad. By 2003, the ridership had increased to 110,000, which was still insufficient for profitability.^[1]

[edit] Stations between Sentul Timur and Chan Sow Lin

These stations are the common stations that both of the 2 branches share. The 11 stations running from north to south are:

Station code	Station name	Platform	Interchange
SP31	Sentul Timur	Side
SP30	Sentul	Side
SP29	Titiwangsa	Side	KL Monorail & RapidKL Bus
SP28	PWTC	Side
SP27	Sultan Ismail	Side
SP26	Bandaraya	Side	KTM Komuter
SP25	Masjid Jamek	Side	Ampang Line <> Kelana Jaya Line
SP24	Plaza Rakyat	Side
SP23	Hang Tuah	Side	KL Monorail
SP22	Pudu	Side
SP21	Chan Sow Lin	Island	Sri Petaling ↔ Ampang

[edit] Stations between Chan Sow Lin and Ampang

Chan Sow Lin is the interchange station between the two branches. The line that runs to Ampang station consists of 7 stations running into East of Klang Valley. The stations are as below:

Station code	Station name	Platform	Interchange
SP21	Chan Sow Lin	Island	Sri Petaling ↔ Ampang
S07	Miharja	Side
S06	Maluri	Side	RapidKL Bus
S05	Pandan Jaya	Side
S04	Pandan Indah	Side
S03	Cempaka	Side
S02	Cahaya	Side
S01	Ampang	Side

[edit] Stations between Chan Sow Lin and Sri Petaling

Chan Sow Lin is the interchange station between the two branches. The line that runs to Sri Petaling station consists of 7 stations running into South of Klang Valley. The stations are as below:

Station code	Station name	Platform	Interchange
SP21	Chan Sow Lin	Island	Sri Petaling ↔ Ampang
SP20	Cheras	Side
SP19	Salak Selatan	Side
SP18	Bandar Tun Razak	Side
SP17	Bandar Tasik Selatan	Island	Rawang-Seremban Route & KLIA Transit
SP16	Sungai Besi	Side
SP15	Bukit Jalil	Side
SP14	Sri Petaling	Side

[edit] Connection to other railway systems

Since its launch, the Ampang Line had been intended to include forms of interchangeability with other rail-based systems in the region. When the STAR line was launched in 1996, the Bandaraya LRT station became the first STAR station to be designated as an integration station, connecting to the Bank Negara Komuter station, a KTM Komuter regional rail station, several hundred metres away. With the completion of the Sri Petaling-Chan Sow Lin line, the Bandar Tasik Selatan station was opened as a more integrated interchange between the STAR line and the KTM Komuter. The line would later include interconnectivity with Kelana Jaya Line, ERL and KL Monorail services in the following years. The system currently has a total of five stations linked to other railway systems.

The Ampang Line is the only rail system in the Kuala Lumpur rail transit network that does not stop within or near Kuala Lumpur Sentral.

[edit] Rolling stock

The rolling stock of the Ampang Lines consists of a fleet of 90 Adtranz standard gauge trains manufactured by Walkers Limited, an engineering and company. The trains consist of electric multiple units, which draw power from the underside of a third rail installed along a side of the line. All cars in each train may serve as both the power cars and motor cars. The trains are manned, with driver cabs occupying the tips of the trains.

The trains come in two trainset configurations. The first and most common variation is the six-car trainset, which consists of three sets of two EMUs (2+2+2) and utilises the maximum platform length of the lines' stations. Each two EMU sets at the front and rear consist of one driving car and one trailer car, while the two EMUs between are trailer cars. Each two EMU sets are not connected to other EMU sets in the train. The second variation is a four-car trainset, a more obscure configuration that consists of only two EMU sets (2+2) of one driving car and one trailer car at both ends. With only two-thirds the length and number of cars as the six-car variation. The 2+2 trainsets were once used in full in the service until the massive deployment of 2+2+2 trainsets.

Each car has 3 bogies, 2 power bogies and one articulated trailer for the centre bogie. The end cars, numbered 1101 to1260 have driver cabs. The middle car number 2201 to 2230 have concealed driver control panel to enable the car to be moved around the depot independently.

The interiors of the trains are largely stark and simplistic. The seating provided are only arranged sideways towards the sides of the train and are surfaced in sheet metal and plastic, while spaces near the connecting ends of the cars are provided for wheelchair bound passengers. The remaining space accommodates standing passengers.

The rolling stock has remained relatively unchanged since its introduction in 1996.

In 2009, together with the display on the proposed Puchong extension of the line, it was announced that the rolling stock fleet would be expanded with 13 new trains.

[edit] History and timeline

• 13 November 1992: Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan Sdn Bhd (Star LRT) incorporated to implement Kuala Lumpur's first LRT project.
• 22 December 1992: Franchise agreement between the Malaysian government and Star LRT signed for the development, ownership and operation of LRT system.
• 30 August 1994: Work on the project officially commenced.
• 16 December 1996: Phase One between Ampang and Sultan Ismail stations begins operations.
• 11 July 1998: Branch line from Chan Sow Lin station to Sri Petaling station begins operations. This branch forms part of the Sri Petaling Line.
• 6 December 1998: Extension from Sultan Ismail station to Sentul Timur station begins operations.
• 1 September 2002: Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (SPNB) takes over ownership and operations of Star LRT under the first phase of Kuala Lumpur's public transport restructuring exercise. SPNB renames the system Starline.
• November 2004: Operations of Starline transferred to Rapid KL. Ownership of assets remain with SPNB.
• 19 July 2005: Rapid KL announces that Starline's two lines will be renamed the Ampang and Sri Petaling Lines. All signage will be changed by 2006.

[edit] Accidents

• 27 October 2006: A six-coach LRT train which came in from Ampang overshoots the end of the elevated tracks at Sentul Timur station, resulting in the front half of the first coach dangling in the air about 25m above the ground.
• 25 September 2008: Six people injured when a train hits another train near the Bukit Jalil station. It is believe that the first coach suddenly stopped 200 metres from the station before it was rammed by another train on the same track. LRT service was disrupted for the day before resuming the next day.^[3]

[edit] Extensions

On 29 August 2006, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak announced that the southern end of the Sri Petaling Line, which now ended at Sri Petaling station, would be extended to the suburb of Puchong, located to the south-west of Kuala Lumpur. The extension will be part of a 10bil ringgit plan to expand Kuala Lumpur's public transport network.

The expansion plan will also see the western terminus of the Kelana Jaya Line extended to the suburbs of Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya and UEP Subang Jaya (USJ), all also located to the south-west of Kuala Lumpur. The plan also involved the construction of an entirely new line; Kota Damansara-Cheras Line from Kota Damansara to the west of the city, to Cheras which lies to the south-east of Kuala Lumpur.

No details of the alignment of the extensions and the new line nor locations of new stations were revealed.^[4] As of August 2008, the operator of the line, Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd , is running land and engineering study on the proposed extension. It is to believe that the construction will start once the study is complete.^[5]

In September 2009, Syarikat Prasarana Negara began a public viewing for the details of the alignment for the Ampang Line and Kelana Jaya Line at various locations. The public are able to provide feedback based on the route during the 3 months display period. The extension will see the Ampang Line adding 13 new stations and 17.7 km of new track to its network. The new terminus will be at Putra Heights where the line will meet the Kelana Jaya Line to provide a suburban interchange. Construction is expected to begin in early-2010 once the public feedback period is closed and completion due for 2012.

[edit] See also

• Public transport in Kuala Lumpur
• Rail transport in Malaysia
• List of rapid transit systems

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Property Times
2. ^ ^{a b} Red flags | Malaysian Business | Find Articles at BNET.com
3. ^ Elizabeth Looi (2008-09-25). "Six injured in LRT accident". The Star. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/25/nation/2116102&sec=nation. 
4. ^ "Interview with Shaipudin Shah Harun CEO SPNB on the proposed new LRT lines and extension" AstroNews (English), 1 October 2006.
5. ^ Sim Leoi Leoi (2008-08-21). "Two extra LRT lines being studied". The Star. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/21/nation/20080821121505&sec=nation. 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ampang Line

• Rapid KL
• Syarikat Prasarana Malaysia Bhd
• Interactive Map of LRT line from Masjid Jamek to Ampang

[edit] Route Maps

• Route search - Interactive transport guide of Kuala Lumpur public transport system
• Train Journey Planner & Fare Calculator from thepricechat.com
• Route Map from malaysiaexpat.com
• Route Map from ktmb.com.my
• Route Map from prasarana.com.my

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