Bandar Tasik Selatan station

Infobox Station
name=Bandar Tasik Selatan
type=KTM Komuter regional rail station
Ampang Line rapid transit station
ERL airport rail link station


image_size=270
image_caption=The southeastern entrance into the Bandar Tasik Selatan station.
address=Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
coordinates=coord|3|4|34|N|101|42|38|E|region:MY_type:railwaystation
line=Rawang-Seremban Line (KTM Komuter) (1995 to present)
Ampang Line (1998 to present)
KLIA Transit (Express Rail Link) (2002 to present)
other=RapidKL bus hub
platform=2 side platforms (KTM Komuter)
1 island platform (Ampang Line)
2 island platforms (KLIA Transit)
tracks=2 (KTM Komuter)
2 (Ampang Line)
4 (KLIA Transit)
parking=Available
bicycle=
baggage_check=
passengers=
pass_year=
pass_percent=
pass_system=
opened=November 10, 1995 (KTM Komuter)
July 11, 1998 (Ampang Line)
June 20, 2002 (KLIA Transit)
rebuilt=
electrified=
ADA=Y
code=BTSK.SEL (KTM Komuter)
S64 (Ampang Line)
owned="Keretapi Tanah Melayu" (KTM Komuter)
"Syarikat Prasarana Negara" (2002 to present); operated by RapidKL (Ampang Line)
ERL Private Limited (KLIA Transit)
zone=
services=
mpassengers=

Bandar Tasik Selatan is a Malaysian interchange station located next to and named after "Bandar Tasik Selatan", in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. The station serves as both a stop and interchange for KTM Komuter, Ampang Line, and the Express Rail Link's KLIA Transit trains, and RapidKL buses. The station is accessible via Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) from the southeast, and, indirectly, the Sungai Besi Expressway from the west. The Bandar Tasik Selatan interchange is effectively an transportation hub.

Facilities for the purchase and reloading of Touch 'n Go cards are also provided in the interchange.

Stations

Rather than consisting of a single integrated hub, the Bandar Tasik Selatan interchange is made out of three different stations laid side-by-side and added over the course of seven years, with overhead bridges connecting all three stations and ticketing areas of each train service separated from each other. Despite its importance as a transportation hub, two out of the three stops in the interchange do not accommodate disabled passengers.

KTM Komuter halt

The Bandar Tasik Selatan stop was formed with the completion of a KTM Komuter regional rail halt, as part of the second phase of the electrified Rawang-Seremban Line (between Kuala Lumpur and Kajang) openning on November 10, 1995. The station was the first in the stop to be accessible from Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), but its facilities were rudimentary, consisting of only two raised side platforms lined along a curved double track, a footbridge, and an elevated ticket area that initially provided only ticket vending machines. The platform shelters were only sufficient for a limited space, and the halt often suffered from bottlenecking at the ticket area. The various levels of the halt are also linked primarily via staircases or escalators, rendering the halt unfriendly to disabled users.

In 2006 and 2007, renovations works were made to expand the ticket area of the halt, and add a larger concourse area with a manual ticket counter. In addition, existing shelters along the platforms were replaced by large canopies during the middle of 2007, in conjunction with 2006 and 2007 canopy upgrades at most Komuter stations built or upgraded circa 1995.

Ampang Line station

The second addition to the stop is an at-grade rapid transit station for the Sri Petaling-Sentul Timur branch of the Ampang Line, then known as STAR. The station was opened on July 11, 1998, as part of the second phase of the STAR system's openning, including 7 new stations along the Chan Sow Lin-Sri Petaling route, and was situated directly southeast from the Komuter halt and closer to MRR2. Because of the layout, the Komuter halt was initially accessible solely via the main entrance of the Ampang Line station, which currently serves as the southeastern access point into the interchange station.

In comparison to the Komuter halt during its time of openning, the STAR station was considerably more capable of handling larger numbers of passengers, with several ticket counters and ticket vending machines prepared in its ticket concourse when the station was unveiled to commuters. The station also features an island platform for its two adjoining tracks, instead of side platforms. Both segments of the station are linked by a footbridge, which, like the Komuter halt, does not accommodate disabled passengers as the footbridge is only accessible via staircases.

The principal styling of the station is similar to most other stations along the Ampang Line, featuring multi-tiered roofs supported by latticed frames, and white plastered walls and pillars. Signboards in the station occasionally refer to itself simply as "Tasik Selatan".

KLIA Transit station

The Bandar Tasik Selatan Express Rail Link station is the latest stop added into the Bandar Tasik Selatan interchange, beginning operation on June 20, 2002 as part of a 5-station KLIA Transit airport rail link between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport station and Kuala Lumpur Sentral.

Rather than sharing a common access point with the Komuter halt and the Ampang Line station, the KLIA Transit station was constructed as an entirely dedicated structure towards the northwest from the KTM Komuter halt, with its own access point towards the northwest via "Kampung Malaysia Tambahan" (Malay; literary translated to English as "Additional Malaysia Village") to "Jalan Sungai Besi" (Sungai Besi Road) (a branch road from the Sungai Besi Expressway). The only direct linkage between the KLIA Transit station and the other two stations is a 95 metre foorbridge over the KLIA Transit/Ekspres tracks and the KTM tracks into the ticket area of the Komuter halt, thus serving as a second access point to both the Komuter halt and the Ampang Line station.

The station was built in a unique design that incorporated large semi-circle roofs as shelters for platforms with multi-tiered roofs for the rest of the building, similar to the adjoining Ampang Line station. Unlike both the Komuter halt or the Ampang Line station, however, the station provides support for disabled passengers, with elevators and inclinations up and down uneven walkways, alongside stairways and escalators in all relevant areas of the station. The station also features two island platforms along four tracks, and basic ticket counters.

Bandar Tasik Selatan stations as the rapidKL bus hub

The Bandar Tasik Selatan stations also acts a rapidKL bus hub, although there are only three local shuttle (TEMPATAN) bus services run through here.

*T405 : Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT - Taman Cuepacs / Taman Cheras Awana - Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT
*T407 : Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT - Taman Tun Perak via Bandar Damai Perdana - Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT
*T424 : Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) - Desa Tasik - Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM)

Future Plans

Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the station will be transformed into a transportation hub to cater for express buses from the South. Once completed, operations from heavily congested Puduraya will be transferred here. [cite news|title= 9MP Report: Transport hubs to ease travel woes| author= Minderjeet Kaur| publisher=New Straits Time| date=2006-04-01| accessdate=2008-07-01| url= http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70593.html] The integrated terminal, which cost RM570 million, is expected to complete construction by 2010. Construction has started in November 2007. [cite news| title= RM570mil terminal project to proceed| url= http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/8/parliament/21760203&sec=parliament| author= | publisher=The Star| date=2008-07-08| accessdate=2008-07-08]

The station will have 150 taxi bays, 60 bus platforms, 1,000 parking bays and will be connected to the Middle Ring Road 2 and Besraya Highway. [cite news| title= Cut the highways, look into buses, LRT| url= http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Columns/2292105/Article/index_html| publisher=The New Straits Times| date=2008-07-12| accessdate=2008-07-12| author= Chok Suat Ling]

References

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