Ampang Line

The KL-RTS-APL is one of the two lines in Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System network operated by RapidKL Rail network. The other rail network is the KL-RTS-KJL.

Other rail-based public transport modes in Kuala Lumpur include the KL-RTS-KML, 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

The system has assumed multiple name 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/Ampang Lines. In April 2007, the entire system was renamed the KL-RTS-APL as one common line, with no official names given to the sub-lines.

Lines and stations

The KL-RTS-APL 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).

Ridership on the line has been far below expectations. Built with a capacity of 500,000 passengers per day [http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/PropertyTimes/News/Focus/20030905190821/Article/ Property Times ] ] and a breakeven point of 170,000 passengers per day [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn6207/is_20000616/ai_n24903233 Red flags | Malaysian Business | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] , in 1998, two years after launch, the line was only averaging 53,000 passengers per day. 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.

tations 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:

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.

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.

History

* 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.

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 meter 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. [cite news| title= Six injured in LRT accident| author= Elizabeth Looi| url= http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/25/nation/2116102&sec=nation| publisher=The Star| date=2008-09-25]

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 KL-RTS-KJL 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; KL-RTS-KCL 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." [http://www.prasarana.com.my/Video/011006-2.wmv Interview with Shaipudin Shah Harun CEO SPNB on the proposed new LRT lines and extension] " AstroNews (English), 1 October, 2006.] 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. [Cite news| title= Two extra LRT lines being studied| url= http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/21/nation/20080821121505&sec=nation| publisher=The Star| author= Sim Leoi Leoi| date=2008-08-21

ee also

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

References

External links

* [http://www.rapidkl.com.my Rapid KL]
* [http://www.prasarana.com.my Syarikat Prasarana Malaysia Bhd]
* [http://www.xylogue.com/info/train-map/malaysia/lrt-masjid-jamek-to-ampang-front.htm Interactive Map of LRT line from Masjid Jamek to Ampang ]