MRT Corporation (MRT Corp) has applied to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) of Malaysia transport ministry to modify the Penang Island LRT alignment to include an extension to Butterworth via Penang Sentral. The revised plan would connect the island to the mainland with a 6 km cross-channel link, including a 3.2 km sea viaduct. Soil investigations are already underway, with the Economy Ministry and SRS Consortium reviewing station layouts and costs.
The federal government has earmarked about 100 plots of land for acquisition, with compensation assessments set to begin within three months. The LRT project’s tender process has been extended to June due to high interest from potential bidders. MRT Corp will bypass regular planning permissions, submitting plans directly to technical agencies for expedited approval. The first phase of the Mutiara LRT line, spanning 29 km from Komtar to Bayan Lepas, is set to open in 2031 at an estimated cost of RM13 billion. The second phase will extend to Butterworth.