GEORGE TOWN: Construction of the Penang Mutiara Line continues to gather momentum as Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) achieves a series of key delivery milestones, marking steady progress in the development of Penang’s first metro rail system.
As the asset owner and project manager, MRT Corp continues to lead and drive the coordination of engineering design, construction planning, land readiness and railway systems implementation to ensure the project progresses in accordance with schedule.
A major focus of the project at this stage is the completion of detailed construction drawings for Civil Main Contract 1 (CMC1) covering critical infrastructure elements including pile caps, piers, viaducts and stations from Silicon Island to Komtar. To enable construction activities to commence progressively, MRT Corp has been issuing construction reference drawings to the contractor while detailed designs continue to be finalised.
Land acquisition for the project also continues to progress well through close collaboration between the federal government, the Penang state government and the relevant agencies. To date, 93% of the total land acreage required for the CMC1 package has been made available for construction activities.
Another significant milestone has been achieved at the reclaimed Silicon Island, where soil investigation works have commenced, paving the way for future depot construction activities in this key section of the alignment.
Following the handover of the Tapak Pesta site by the Penang state government in April 2026, MRT Corp said it has completed the removal of old structures and the necessary site preparation works, enabling construction activities to commence soon.
With civil works continuing to advance across multiple fronts, MRT Corp added it is also actively managing the interface between the civil construction works and railway systems to ensure both workstreams progress in an integrated and coordinated manner.
With these key civil works and enabling activities now well underway, the project is ready to enter its next major phase with the appointment of the system turnkey contractor.
MRT Corp announced the award of the RM3.028 billion system turnkey contract (STC) to the Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) and Theta Edge Bhd joint venture (MRCB–Theta Edge JV).
The appointment will enable detailed design of the railway systems to proceed in parallel with the ongoing civil construction programme, ensuring both components remain aligned towards overall project delivery.
The STC comprises seven major railway systems packages – electric trains and depot equipment; signalling and train control system together with automatic platform gates; trackwork, conductor rail and maintenance vehicles; power supply and distribution system; railway SCADA system and computerised maintenance management system; telecommunications and information technology systems; and automatic fare collection system.
Meanwhile, the tender for Civil Main Contract 2 (CMC2) package encompassing the extension of the alignment from Komtar to Penang Sentral is also progressing as planned, with tender evaluations currently underway. MRT Corp is targeting the award of the contract in November 2026.
The CMC1 contractor also continues to award various subcontract packages for station construction and related works as activities expand across the project. MRT Corp reported that Bumiputera participation under the CMC1 package has now exceeded 20% of the total contract value, reflecting the project’s continued commitment to strengthening Bumiputera participation and developing local industry capabilities throughout project delivery.
