KUB awaiting green light to develop commuter train service for Iskandar Malaysia

NUSAJAYA: KUB Malaysia Bhd (KUB) is still waiting for the Government to decide on its proposal to develop the intra-city commuter train (ICCT) service for Iskandar Malaysia.

Group managing director Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Wan Ahmad said as of to date, the company was the only one to have submitted a proposal for the project.

Asked whether the company was confident that it would be the one chosen by the Government to develop the multi-billion ringgit project, he said “we have to wait and see.”

“Hopefully, we’ll hear some good news soon as it has been a year since we submitted the proposal,” said Wan Mohd Nor.

He said this at the handing over of RM226,000, business tithes by the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary KUB Agrotech Group Sdn Bhd to Johor Islamic Religious Council.

Wan Mohd Nor said the company would make an official announcement on the ICCT project at its upcoming annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

KUB and Malaysia Steel Works (KL) Sdn Bhd had in April 2011 via Metropolitan Commuter Network Sdn Bhd (MCN), submitted the proposal of the ICCT service for Iskandar Malaysia.

MCN is a joint-venture company between KUB and Malaysia Steel Works and the company had proposed to the Government to construct and operate the rail transit network in Iskandar Malaysia.

The company had proposed to develop the RM1.23bil rail network covering 100km to serve all the major suburbs in the country’s first economic growth corridor.

The ICCT project is expected to start operations by 2013, with deployment of 19 three-car trains.

Under the proposal, seven new stations will be built together with 16 halts and the rail network will also include a shuttle service from JB Sentral to Woodlands in Singapore.

Among the areas covered by the service include Nusajaya with major developments such as Legoland Theme Park Malaysia and EduCity and the Johor Premium Outlets and Senai Hi-Tech Park in Senai-Kulai.