As announced by Sarawak Transport Minister Lee Kim Shin last month, the prototype for the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) smart tram has already arrived in Sarawak for its next phase. This was confirmed by Premier Abang Johari Openg on Friday and then by Sarawak Metro the day after, stating that the tram arrived from China at Senari Port.
The shipment comprised of a three-car set and will go through assembly work over the next two weeks. Following that, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) chairman Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said that ART will undergo an engineering run for two months starting 1 September. The prototype already underwent a phase 1 proof-of-concept (POC) exercise in China back in February, while a phase 2 exercise will be conducted in Sarawak in November.
The POC exercise will use a 3KM lane that has been converted into smart traffic light junctions, which will be a permanent dedicated lane for the ART Blue Line allignment. During the exercise, only certain stakeholders will be invited to ride on the smart tram. The Blue Line is expected to commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2025 while the other two lines for the Kuching Urban Transport System (KUTS), the Red and Green Lines, are scheduled to be completed by 2027.
Adding on to this news, Abang Johari announced that the new transport system will first prioritise students from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and UiTM in Samarahan, with discounts or special fares to be given. He also said that the payment method used will be Sarawak Pay, the state’s e-wallet app.
