New train station to drive growth in Seremban, says Loke

Anthony Loke (third from right) at the Seremban Sentral groundbreaking ceremony on Friday. -Bernamapic

SEREMBAN: The Cabinet has approved a proposal to build a new railway station here and upgrade nine others in Selangor under the Klang Valley Double Tracking project (KVDT2), says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said the new Seremban station would be known as Seremban Sentral.

The nine stations to be upgraded are Salak South, Bangi, Pantai Dalam, Seri Setia, Batu Tiga, Padang Jawa, Klang, Jalan Kastam and Port Klang.

The Cabinet approved the projects, estimated to cost some RM280mil, at its recent meeting two days ago, Loke said at the Seremban Sentral groundbreaking ceremony here on Friday (Jan 19).

“We are here today for the groundbreaking ceremony… 48 hours after the Cabinet approved it.

“As Transport Minister, and together with the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd and Railway Asset Corporation CEOs, and my secretary-general, we give our commitment to expedite this project.

“I have also called the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar and spoken with the state secretary and Seremban mayor, and received their commitment to ensure there are no obstacles in the implementation of this project.

“As such, I wish to firmly remind the contractor that there will be no time extension given on this project and it has to be completed within the stipulated 24 months,” he said.

The Seremban Sentral project is being handled by Dhaya Maju LTAT Sdn Bhd.

Loke, who is Seremban MP, said he would personally monitor progress on the station because he visits the constituency frequently.

“This will be one project that my secretary-general won’t have to brief me on.

“Instead, I will keep him updated as this is a very important project which will change the image and landscape of this city,” he said, adding that the cost of the project would be shared by the ministry and the Railway Asset Corporation.

Work on Seremban Sentral, which will be the country’s first net-zero carbon emission station, was supposed to have started 10 years ago.

He said it was to have been built under the Transit Oriented Development concept which included the now-completed PR1MA Residensi Seremban Sentral affordable housing development and the Terminal One bus and taxi stations.

However, the new station was shelved in 2019 to bring down the cost of KVDT2.

The strategically-located Seremban Sentral, he said, would now be a catalyst for growth and be the most modern landmark in Seremban.

He said apart from important landmarks located close to the station at present, Seremban Sentral will in the next seven to 10 years include affordable housing, offices, hotels, commercial units and educational institutions with a gross development value of some RM1.4bil.

He said the current station built in 1904 would be preserved and integrated with the new one.

The facade of the existing station, a heritage building, would not be demolished, he added.

Loke said it was important that all the projects are completed on time so that rail services can be improved.

“The government is committed to making public transport an important mode of travel.

“I know many are unhappy with the current KTM Komuter service but give us some time and this will be improvised as works to upgrade the tracks are ongoing,” he said.

Citing an example, he said the KVDT1 project was already almost 97% done and work is due for completion at the end of April.

“During the recent Cabinet retreat, the Prime Minister instructed all ministers to carry out their work fast. This is a year of project execution and we need to act fast,” he said.

He said work on the nine stations should start in the next few weeks after the value management process is completed.

Loke said another reason the Seremban Sentral project must be completed on time is to improve train frequency following the scheduled completion of the Gemas-Johor Baru double tracking and electrification project at the end of this year.