First 2 ART vehicle units ready for delivery to Kuching

 They are expected to arrive in Sarawak within the second quarter of 2026.

The autonomous rapid transit vehicles will undergo gangway reassembly at the Kuching ART assembly facility upon arrival in Sarawak. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The first two autonomous rapid transit (ART) vehicles have completed the required tests in China and are now ready for delivery to Sarawak, marking another milestone for the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project.

Sarawak Metro said the vehicles are expected to arrive in Kuching within the second quarter of 2026.

“Sarawak Metro CEO Mazli Mustaffa, together with the company’s technical team, was recently in the Chinese city of Yibin to conduct final inspections of the ART vehicles at the manufacturer’s facility.

“The aim of this visit was to verify overall readiness, workmanship quality and compliance with project specifications prior to shipment,” Bernama quoted the company as saying today.

The vehicles will undergo gangway reassembly at the Kuching ART assembly facility upon arrival in Sarawak.

Another set of tests will be conducted on the vehicles once they arrive at the ART depot in Rembus, Kota Samarahan, to ensure full operational readiness ahead of the pilot operations scheduled to begin at the end of 2026.

It was reported that Sarawak had ordered 38 hydrogen-powered ART vehicles. These are designed as a hybrid of a bus and a train, running on rubber tyres within dedicated tracks to serve as the backbone of public transport in Kuching.

A total of 55 hydrogen-powered buses are expected to complement the system. - FMT