Ipoh City Council studying suitability of autonomous rail system

Ipoh City Council is currently studying the suitability of an Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system for Ipoh.

The study, undertaken by a private company, aims to evaluate if the ART system is much more suited for Ipoh than light rail transit (LRT).

The LRT project is among several initiatives mentioned in the Ipoh City Local Plan Draft 2035.

However, the Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin clarified that the plan to build LRT is just a planned project under the local plan draft.

Hence, the private company had until next January to propose.

The ART system implementation

According to the mayor, the ART system is similar to what they have in Istanbul, Turkey, and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Sarajevo has a population of about 450,000 people while Ipoh has about 720,000, so it is not an issue to have such a system,” he told The Star after attending Ipoh City Council’s Jalur Gemilang flying campaign.

The Sarawak state government also studied the ART system’s implementation for Kuching in 2018.

The ART system in Kuching will cover routes totalling 70 km over three rail lines and 31 stations in its first phase. The construction will commence in September 2022.

It will use hydrogen fuel cell-powered trackless vehicles on rubber tyres, which will operate on dedicated lanes, accommodate 300 passengers, and travel at 70 km/h.

ART is also known as a rail-less guided transport system, similar to the Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Johor.

The vision of Ipoh City Council

Rumaizi hopes Ipoh can have a similar service, and it is suitable to be built in the city centre, between the Old Town and New Town areas.

He also added that the ART system could cater to locals and tourists, both domestic and foreign.

The system will use kinetic and electric energy, which can lower the carbon footprint compared to biofuel vehicles.

“It is part of our aim to be a low-carbon city,” he added.

Last week, The Star reported that Ipoh LRT is part of Ipoh City Local Plan Draft 2035 but is not yet confirmed.

Perak Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Saarani Mohamad said the project needs to be studied in detail because it will require high costs.