Mutiara line

Mutiara Line
Overview
Native name	Laluan Mutiara
Status	Proposed
Owner	Mass Rapid Transit Corporation
Locale	Penang
Termini	Pulau Silikon Penang Sentral
Stations	21
Website	penanginfra.com
Service
Type	Light rapid transit
Depot(s)	Sungai Nibong Silicon Island
History
Planned opening	2030
Technical
Line length	28 km (17 mi)
Character	Elevated
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Route map Legend S0 Penang Sentral  ETS   1   2  Strait of Penang S1 Macallum S2 Komtar Pinang River S3 Solok Sungai Pinang S4 Sungai Pinang S5 Jelutong Timur S6 The Light S7 Gelugor S8 Jalan Universiti S9 Batu Uban LRT Depot S10 Sungai Dua S11 Sungai Nibong S12 Bukit Jambul S13 SPICE S14 Jalan Tengah S15 FIZ S16 FIZ Selatan S17 Sungai Tiram S18 Penang International Airport S19 Permatang Damar Laut Strait of Malacca Segment 1-4 Segment 5 S20 Pulau Silikon

The Mutiara LRT line (English: Pearl) is a proposed light rapid transit system in Penang. The 28 kilometres (17 mi) line is planned to connect George Town's city centre with its southern suburbs of Jelutong, Gelugor and Bayan Lepas, with a link towards Seberang Perai across the Penang Strait. Once completed, it is owned by the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC). The line, a component of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), is projected to contain 21 stations. Construction of the line is expected to begin in December 2024, and will be completed by 2030.^[1][2]

The line was previously known as the Bayan Lepas line, introduced by the Penang state government in 2015 as part of the PTMP. The plan envisaged a rapid transit system along George Town's heavily urbanised eastern shorelines in a north-south axis, with an extension towards reclaimed islands south of Batu Maung. It received conditional approval from the Malaysian government in 2019, and construction was scheduled to begin in 2020 amidst overwhelming public support. However, construction was repeatedly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide political crisis which resulted in a withdrawal of support by successive governments of different political parties.

After the general elections in 2022, the Malaysian government expedited development of the rapid transit line with additional funding, before fully taking over the project from the Penang state government. The line was re-designated and its alignment was substantially redesigned to its present state, which added a cross-strait link from George Town to Seberang Perai.