Macau Light Rail Transit

The Macau Light Rapid Transit (MLRT, zh, 澳門輕軌系統; , MLM) is a mass transit system in Macau and the first railway system of the city. The first phase of the project's construction began in February 2012, and the first section of the Taipa line was opened to the public on 10 December 2019. The Barra extension of the Taipa line opened in 2023, with the Seac Pai Van and Hengqin lines opened in 2024.

MTR (Macau), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTR, operated and maintaining the MLM under the operations and maintenance assistance services (O&M Contract) until it expired in December 2024. Starting in 1 April 2024, the Macao Light Rapid Transit Corporation Limited (MLM) became directly responsible for the operations and maintenance assistance services of the MLM.

The Taipa Line, being the first line of the light rail system to be opened, runs from Barra station to Taipa Ferry Terminal station, with a total length of and a total of 13 stations. Overall, the Taipa Line has been reported to have cost around 10 billion patacas. Once completed, the entire system is expected to serve the Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Cotai, serving major border checkpoints such as the Border Gate, the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, the Lotus Bridge border and the Macau International Airport.

History

Conception

The LRT was first proposed in 2002 by the Macau SAR Government in the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2003 by then Chief Executive of Macau Edmund Ho as a method to "solve the urban transport issues". In the same year, the Macau SAR Government entrusted the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation (Now MTR Corporation) to stage a preliminary study on a railway transport system. The original proposal was presented on 19 February 2003, and recommended the construction of an elevated light metro in two stages: the first stage extends for with 15 stations going from Portas do Cerco and the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal to Macau Airport via the then constructing Sai Van Bridge, while the second stage would connect the airport with the Cotai (Lotus) Checkpoint and the East Asian Games Dome. The system would mainly cater to tourists, expecting them to take 85% of the projected 43,000 daily rider ship, and was due to open in 2006.

The original proposal for the LRT was criticized by the public for being unable to handle the needs of Macau citizens, obstructing important views of the city, and also for being not cost-effective. Then Secretariat for Transport and Public Works Au Man Long decided to suspend plans for the LRT on 15 April 2003, citing the economic downturn caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak at the time.

A second feasibility study was conducted in 2005 by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, analysing possible routes for the LRT. The second study recommended a mixed underground and elevated system, with three separate lines: One peninsula encirclement line, one Macau-Taipa Line, and one Airport Line. Based on the second feasibility study and public opinion regarding it, the Macau SAR government in October 2006 released the ''Detailed Research Program for MLRT'' report that outlines a route for the LRT similar to the Phase I Line today. The report recommended elevating the entire LRT line to Phase I for budget reasons, and it proposed only one line that stretches for with 26 stations. The Macau SAR Government, after considering the opinions of the public, called for the construction of the LRT in November 2007 after publishing their optimization program report months earlier. The optimization program report stated that the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, together with an international consortium, should be tasked with the construction of the LRT.

Site investigation work started in 2008. Under the plan, Phase I (Macau–Taipa Line) would connect major entry-exit points at the Macau Peninsula and the Taipa Island with residential and tourist areas. It uses reserved space in the lower deck of the Ponte de Sai Van (Sai Van Bridge) to connect to Taipa island. Phase II (Loop Line) would connect the Barrier gate to A-Ma Temple via the inner harbour area, eventually forming a loop on the Macau peninsula. The LRT is expected to improve transportation options between the Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Cotai, and relieve traffic congestion on roads and bridges.

Construction

In October 2009, the construction of the LRT was announced by the Macau SAR Government, with the goal of the LRT being operational by 2013. Several changes were made to the plan, including reducing the number of stations to 21 and building part of the LRT running along Nam Van Lake underground or at the surface level. However, due to the constant changes to the path of the LRT, as well as an appeal from one of the tender companies, the start date for construction was delayed for multiple times, and substantial work on the LRT did not commence until 2012.

In December 2010, the government announced that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was chosen to provide the rolling stock and the system for the LRT, with a winning bid of 4.68 billion Macau Patacas. A contract would then be signed in March 2011, which would entail an order of 55 sets of 2-carriage rolling stock, as well as the accompanying communications and operating systems for the daily operation of the LRT.

The estimated construction cost for Phase 1 (with 21 stations) was revised in June 2011 from MOP 7.5 billion (about US$933 million) to MOP 11 billion (about US$1,370 million) including MOP 360 million for studies, MOP 4.9 billion for rolling stock and MOP 5.74 billion for construction. The project will be financed by the Government of Macau and is scheduled to take about 48 months to complete. Six design packages have been awarded, and the open tenders were expected to be published by October 2011, starting by the Taipa packages C250 and C260. To power up the operation of the LRT, CEM also built two primary substations.

Main construction work began on 21 February 2012 in Taipa. The Taipa section is expected to operate by 2019, and Macau Peninsula section to be operating sometime by the early 2020s. Despite the official schedule, analysts did project the initial phase to not be in operation until 2017. The ''Third Special Audit Report on the First Phase of the Light Rail Transit System'' published by the Commission of Audit in January 2015 indicated that the construction of the Macau Light Rail Transit was delayed by 883 days.

In January 2018, the Secretariat for Transport and Public Works Raimundo Arrais do Rosário

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