Kuching Urban Transportation System

The Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) is an under-construction Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system network that serves Greater Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, and Sri Aman. It is the first ART system network to be built outside of China and also the first metro bus system in the state of Sarawak which was touted as one of the methods to ease traffic congestion in the city of Kuching. The project is currently constructed by Sarawak Metro using state funds provided by the Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS). The ART lines will connect Kuching to Samarahan and Serian as well as future lines to other parts of Greater Kuching.

Initial LRT proposal

The proposed construction of a RM10.8 billion Kuching light rapid transit (LRT) project was expected to commence by 2019 and was scheduled to be operational by 2024. It was proposed that the LRT will use hydrogen fuel cell rolling-stock with a travel speed of 70–140km/h.

The hydrogen fuel cell trains were in line with the state government's vision to develop a hydrogen economy, as part of its green initiative. Aside from hydrogen-powered trains, Kuching will also be the first city in the country to have hydrogen-powered buses.

Planned routes

On 29 March 2018, the Chief Minister of Sarawak released the routes and stations of three of the six lines with 155.2 kilometers of track to be completed in 2024, while the remaining three lines to be implemented at a later stage. A government-linked company (GLC) called Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd had been registered to manage the LRT system.

Samarahan Line (Line 1)

Serian Line (Line 2)

Shelving

However, on 1 September 2018, the Chief Minister of Sarawak announced that the project has been placed on hold, citing that the funds allocated to the project will instead be used to build basic amenities for Sarawak's rural areas. Eventually, in July 2019, the Chief Minister of Sarawak said that the new LRT project will be built using artificial intelligence (AI) technology which will remove the need for conventional rails and bringing down the cost of the project, which culminated into adopting the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit system from China.

Current ART proposal

In September 2019, the government of Sarawak ultimately decided to go with China's Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system than LRT due to its more affordable cost where the state transport minister said it will be ready by 2022. The Premier of Sarawak, Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg had initially promised to build the first Kuching ART soon to avoid rising costs, with Chinese companies offering their expertise to collaborate in the construction. In April 2022, Premier Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg disclosed to the Singaporean English daily newspaper, The Straits Times that the ART system will likely consist of 52.6 km of route and is expected to begin construction in the third quarter of the same year, with a projected operational date of 2025.
In August 2023, the state received its first hydrogen-powered ART vehicle prototype and went through an engineering run for two months until September, where it then went through a proof-of-concept testing in November. Besides ART vehicles, Sarawak Metro will procure an additional 55 hydrogen buses which will serve as part of the first and last mile connectivity for the system which are still currently in trial operation since January 2020.

Planned routes for Phase 1

On 16 December 2022, the Premier of Sarawak released the Phase 1 integrated transit map of the KUTS project with a 69.9-kilometer route consisting of 3 initial rail lines and a total of 31 stations (with 5 provisional stations) to be completed in stages, with Phase 1 of the Blue Line scheduled to be completed in 2025 while the remaining lines are to be constructed at a later date. Currently, the Green Line has since increased the number of stations from 10 to 14 stations bringing the total number of stations across the Kuching Urban Transportation System to 35 stations. However, only 9 stations are confirmed to be built while the other 5 are under provisional status.

As of May 2025, the overall progress of Phase 1 of the Kuching Urban Transportation System is now at 29.89% which is slightly behind the planned schedule of 33.86% due to construction delays. This has resulted Phase 1 of the Blue Line to now be projected to open on the fourth quarter of 2026 instead of 2025 as well as the current timeline being delayed to 2028.

Blue Line alignment

The Blue Line is expected to begin revenue service for Phase 1 on 31 December 2026 starting from the Rembus station until the Riveria station. This initial phase will allow Samarahan residents as well as students from UNIMAS and UiTM to travel seamlessly from their respective places to around the Samarahan area without needing to drive. Phase 1A of the Blue Line, which will be open for revenue service sometime later after Phase 1, will solely introduce the opening of the new Sungai Kuap bridge as well as the Stutong station, finally connecting the Blue Line to the other side of the river. Finally, Phase 2 of the Blue Line, which will begin revenue service on an unspecified date in 2027 due to construction delays, will continue along Wan Alwi and various popular and congested routes in Kuching before finally terminating at Hikmah Exchange station in downtown Kuching.

Red Line alignment

The Red Line is expected to begin revenue service on an unspecified date sometime in 2027. It is currently unknown whether this line will open simultaneously with Phase 2 of the Blue Line. This line will only have 8 stations at first but is expected to expand in the near future, with potential expansions to Serian and the Kuching Deep Sea Port. It is also expected to be connected with the bus terminal as well as the Kuching International Airport, which will play an important role in providing easy transportation for those leaving or coming from either one of these terminals.

Green Line alignment

The Green Line is expected to begin revenue service on an unspecified date in 2028 due to construction delays, with nine confirmed stations and five provisional stations being built at a later date in order to complement future developments which brings a total number of fourteen stations. All stations on this route are expected to be at-grade, however, there is a small section from Santubong station and the Damai Golf Course station which will be elevated due to the inconsistent terrain of the area.

Planned routes for Phase 2

While not currently under construction, the Sarawak Deputy Premier Dr. Sim Kui Hian announced the planned expansion of the KUTS project for Phase 2 starting with the Yellow Line, which runs from Moyan to an interchange station with the Blue Line at Sarawak General Hospital station. An extension of the route to Bau has been planned out in advance but will only take fruition once Phase 2 undergoes construction. The remaining routes for Phase 2 are to be announced at a later date.

See also

* Klang Valley Integrated Transit System
* Bi-articulated bus
* Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit
* Sarawak Railway Line
* Kota Kinabalu Line

References

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Proposed rail infrastructure in Malaysia
Kuching
Bus rapid transit in Malaysia
Transport in Sarawak