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Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station (KL Sentral) is a transit-oriented development that houses the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Opened on 16 April 2001, KL Sentral replaced the old Kuala Lumpur railway station as the city's main inter-city railway station. KL Sentral is the largest railway station in Malaysia, and also in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2021, before Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok, Thailand was completed.
KL Sentral is designed as an intermodal transport hub. All of Kuala Lumpur's passenger rail lines serve KL Sentral except the Ampang line, Sri Petaling line, Shah Alam line and Putrajaya line. Many intercity trains serving Peninsular Malaysia start here. All the railway components of the scheme have been completed. It was also designed to be a new business and financial hub for Kuala Lumpur.
Overview
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KL Sentral refers to the entire 290,000 square metres (3,100,000 sq ft) of development built on the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu marshalling yard in Brickfields. The development includes the transport hub, hotels, office towers, condominiums and shopping malls and was expected to be completed in 2015.[1]
KL Sentral has been divided into 14 land parcels, each representing a different function. Some of these lots have been fully constructed and are already in use, while others are either in the process of being built, or are still awaiting development, according to the phased programme.
KL Sentral is being developed by a consortium made up of Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and Pembinaan Redzai Sdn Bhd.
History
editKuala Lumpur Sentral station stands on the site of the former Malayan Railway's marshalling yard called the Central Railroad Repair Shops. In the Second World War during the Japanese occupation of Malaya, the yard was the _target of the Allies' 1945 bombing of Kuala Lumpur. The yard was _targeted twice, on 19 February 1945 and 10 March 1945. The second bombing raid also damaged a nearby museum.
In 1994, with the objective of enhancing Kuala Lumpur city's public transport, the Government of Malaysia awarded a contract to a consortium to transform 72 acres (290,000 m2) at the old railway marshalling yard into a modern transit hub within a self-contained urban development. The consortium, led by Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB), appointed architect Kisho Kurokawa and Associates, who also designed the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), to design the master plan for the entire development.
In July 2010, a number two trains crashed into each other. One was an airport bound train and the other was a parked train. The crash injured three people.[2]
In early August 2019, KL Sentral was one of the locations affected by two online bomb threats posted on Twitter; the other being the Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. These threats were posted via a hacked account by an individual calling himself "limzhengyan"; as a result the Malaysian police carried out a search on those locations and determined that the threats were hoaxes, although coincidentally on the same day an incomplete improvised explosive device was found at the Bukit Damansara area.[3][4]
Starting from 29 May 2023, KL Sentral LRT station officially rebranded as KL Sentral - redONE. The partnership is part of a five-year station naming rights agreement between Prasarana Integrated Development and redONE, the largest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in ASEAN.[5]
Development zones
editThe KL Sentral development area is divided into several plots of land, each with a specific development purpose. All constructions were scheduled to be completed by 2015.[1]
| Lot | Development Type | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Office | CIMB Headquarters (Menara CIMB) | Completed in mid-2012 |
| B | Office | Q Sentral | Announced in July 2010. Originally to be developed by MRCB, Kuwait Finance House and Quill Group, but later MRCB bought all of KFH and Quill shares in the venture. Construction began in Q4 2010 and completed in 2014. |
| C | Hotel/Residential | St. Regis Hotel and Residence | Construction started in Q4 2010 and completed in 2014. |
| D | Residential | Sentral Residence | MRCB together with Capitaland and the Quill Group of companies will develop a 52-story residential tower. Construction has commenced and completed in 2015. |
| E | Office & Commercial | Platinum Sentral | Constructed and fully developed by MRCB. Construction completed in 2011.[6] |
| F | Commercial | Unannounced | Announced in 2013, constructions were expected to commence at 2014 but there weren't any developments at the site. Currently designated as an open-air carpark with a sales gallery building. |
| G | Hotel/Commercial/Office | NU Sentral | A joint venture company between Aseana Investment (Ireka) Limited and MRCB has been set up to develop a hotel and an office tower. MRCB and a Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Bhd subsidiary formed a joint venture develop a retail mall and office tower. Constructions for all buildings began in H2 2008 and expected to be done by 2012. Also offers integration with KL Monorail. Consist of two office towers, a 27-story and 37-story, that will be built on top of the mall. A 28-story hotel will also be built on top of the mall. |
| H | Transportation | Stesen Sentral | Completed in 2000, served by KTM Komuter, KTM ETS, KLIA Transit, KLIA Ekspres and the LRT Kelana Jaya Line. Also acts as a Rapid KL bus hub. The KL Monorail and MRT Kajang Line are within walking distance. |
| I | Hotel | Hilton Kuala Lumpur & Le Méridien hotels | Completed in 2004 |
| J | Commercial & Office | Sooka Sentral, UEM Headquarters (Mercu UEM), MIDA office, Company Commission of Malaysia Headquarters, Quill 7 and offices of Axiata | Sooka Sentral opened in 2008. Office towers completed in 2009 |
| K | Residential | Suasana Sentral | Completed in 2002 |
| L | Residential | Suasana Sentral Loft | Completed in 2008 |
| M | Office | Plaza Sentral | Phase 1 completed in 2001. Phase 2 completed in 2007. |
| N | Office | 1 Sentral Tower | Completed in 2007. Sold to Tabung Haji |
Office zones
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Office zones in KL Sentral account for more than 50% of the total land area. The developer intends that KL Sentral will ultimately be the business and financial hub of Kuala Lumpur.
Lot A: CIMB Headquarters (Menara CIMB)
editLot A will be the new headquarters for CIMB Group which is located facing the National Museum. As of June 2011, the new headquarters' name which appears on the construction site is Menara CIMB (CIMB Tower). The company acquired the land in July 2008, and construction is expected to begin in Q4 2007 and complete in 2011. It is unknown how many floors there will be but it should have around 600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2) of office space available.[7][needs update]
Lot M: Plaza Sentral
editLot M or Plaza Sentral is a completed office complex in the west of KL Sentral. The complex was completed in two stages.
- Phase I was completed in June 2001, comprising three blocks and total gross floor area of 785,000 sq ft (72,900 m2). Offering prestigious office suites, Plaza Sentral was sold and quickly taken up by multinationals and Malaysian companies alike, eager to take advantage of the global connectivity and convenience of working in KL Sentral. Its take-up rate is reaching 100%.[citation needed]
- Phase II was launched in September 2003 due to the escalating demand for premium office space. It has since been fully taken up. Comprising two towers – 18-storey and 26-storey – made up of four blocks and a total gross floor area of 879,381 sq ft (81,697.2 m2), the building was completed in 2006. Tenants include British Telecom and Maxis Communications.
- Sentral Tower, a purpose-built 30-storey office tower, was sold to Lembaga Tabung Haji for RM161.46mil in March 2004.
- Plaza Sentral has a basement parking lot.
Lot J: Sooka Sentral & 4 Office Towers
editLot J is a development lot for four 35-storey office towers of identical architecture.
Lot J was sold to United Engineers (M) Bhd (UEM) in May 2005 with plans for four towers. Tower A was built by UEM for its corporate headquarters called Mercu UEM on the prime piece of land with a gross floor area of 1,300,000 sq ft (120,000 m2). Tower B will be an office tower for the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority. Tower C was built by Quill Realty Sdn Bhd and sold to Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) for its corporate headquarters. Tower D is an office building built by Quill, named Quill 7. [needs update][8]
A development on Lot J is the 180,000 sq ft (17,000 m2) six-storey lifestyle centre which houses a fitness and spa centre, business centre, food court, restaurants and alfresco dining facilities. This development, called Sooka Sentral, opened its doors in December 2007.
Lot N: 1 Sentral Tower
edit1 Sentral Tower is an office tower, offering a gross floor area of 453,000 sq ft (42,100 m2). Construction was completed in 2007. It houses companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, MRCB and General Electric.
Others
editLot B has been proposed as a financial area for KL Sentral. No construction has taken place.
Lot F is planned for a future office block. Currently, the base is used for a furniture exhibition mall and Food and Beverage (F&B) centre.
Entertainment zones
editLot E will be a hub for entertainment and convention centre. The deck of this development has been completed.
Lot G: NU Sentral
editLot G, located in the south of KL Sentral consist of 1,200,000 sq ft (110,000 m2) shopping complex, 600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2) office block, 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m2) serviced apartments, and a 546,000 sq ft (50,700 m2) three-star hotel. NU Sentral is the shopping mall in the area, and directly acts as a pathway between Stesen Sentral and the KL Sentral monorail station. Development works commenced in 2008 and was completed in 2014. The land was previously used as a parking lot and a short-cut for pedestrians from Brickfields and the KL Sentral Monorail station to KL Sentral proper.
In January 2008, MRCB set up a joint venture company with Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Bhd (PHBB) named Jewel Surprises Sdn Bhd to develop the area. The new company will hold a lease on the plot of land for 99 years.[9]
Transport hub
editLot H: Stesen Sentral
edit
Stesen Sentral (English: Central Station) is the name of Lot H, which is the designated transport hub within the KL Sentral development project, although both the public and connected transit lines generally refer to the station itself as "KL Sentral".
Stesen Sentral, designed to house six rail networks, was completed in December 2000 and the rail, retail and food and beverage operations began in April 2001. Standing on 9.3 acres (38,000 m2), the main building has a gross floor area of 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) and the specifications were based on passenger projections up to the year 2020, which was when Malaysia aspired to be a fully developed nation.
In 2008, Stesen Sentral registered over 100,000 passengers daily, which translates into 36.5 million people a year.
The station has a parking lot for visitors and people working around the KL Sentral area.
Rail services
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KL Sentral is served by the following services:
- Express Rail Link (ERL): airport rail link to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
- 6 KLIA Ekspres: non-stop express trains to KLIA T1 and KLIA T2 stations.
- 7 KLIA Transit: commuter-style trains to KLIA that also calls at all stations in between, i.e. Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya/Cyberjaya (Putrajaya Sentral), and Salak Tinggi.
- KTM Komuter: Commuter trains serving the Klang Valley region
- ETS KTM Electric Train Service (ETS): Intercity trains to Gemas, Butterworth, and Padang Besar
- Rapid KL: Light rapid transit (LRT) service
(Note: the Kelana Jaya Line station is branded as KL Sentral - redONE due to sponsorship reasons.) [10]
KL City Air Terminal (KL CAT)
edit
KL City Air Terminal is located at the eastern and western ends of the station building and was opened on 14 April 2002 together with the 6 KLIA Ekspres. Designed as an "Airport Terminal in the City", KL CAT is an IATA-indexed station and is assigned with the IATA code XKL.
As of October 2023, passengers flying Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air can check-in their baggage at KL CAT before boarding a KLIA Ekspres train to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
KL CAT is divided into two halls:
- KL CAT Departure Hall is located at the western end of the station building and houses the check-in counters, ticketing counters, and faregates to access KLIA Ekspres departure platform.
- KL CAT Arrival Hall is located at the eastern end of the station building and houses the exit faregates from KLIA Ekspres arrival platform. The linkway that connects to KG15 Muzium Negara for the 9 MRT Kajang Line is also located at this hall.
When KL CAT was built, there were plans to offer through checked baggage service from KLIA to KL CAT where checked baggage of passengers arriving at KLIA would be conveyed to KL CAT and collected by passengers at KL CAT. However, these plans have not materialised.
Connecting rail services
editThe following lines have stations located within the vicinity of KL Sentral complex:
- 8 KL Monorail: MR1 KL Sentral Monorail station at Jalan Tun Sambanthan can be accessed via NU Sentral shopping mall located adjacent to KL Sentral complex.
- 9 MRT Kajang Line: KG15 Muzium Negara MRT station at Jalan Damansara can be accessed via a 200-metre (660 ft) underground walkway from the KL Sentral complex.
Connecting stations
editKL Sentral Monorail station
edit MR1 KL Sentral | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Monorail station | |||||||||||
 The view of the KL Sentral Monorail station before the upgrade. It was built outside from the KL Sentral transport hub and beside a shopping mall, NU Sentral. | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields Kuala Lumpur Malaysia | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Prasarana Malaysia | ||||||||||
| Operated by |  Rapid Rail | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | 8 KL Monorail | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Elevated | ||||||||||
| Parking | None | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Station code | MR1 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 31 August 2003 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The KL Sentral monorail station stands on Jalan Tun Sambanthan in Brickfields, behind the NU Sentral shopping mall. The station acts as a terminating stop for the KL Monorail line. It is directly connected to NU Sentral which allows for uninterrupted walking between Stesen Sentral and the monorail station.
The monorail station is also equipped with new ticket vending machines, ticketing gates as well as a new Customer Service Office. Tactile paving for the visually impaired is also provided beginning from NU Sentral. The completion of the overhead bridge now enables customers to travel between KL Sentral and the monorail station safely and conveniently.[11][12][13] The station uses the Spanish solution, having one rail line with a platform on each side, for passengers embarking and disembarking the train separately.
Before NU Sentral was built, passengers who wanted to move from the monorail station to Stesen Sentral and vice versa had to walk through the busy Jalan Tun Sambanthan.
The monorail and LRT stations are not the interchange station or out-of-station interchange stations. The commuter will be charged 2 single-way journey fares instead of integrated fares whenever using these connecting stations.
Muzium Negara MRT station
edit
Due to space constraints, an MRT station could not be built in the Stesen Sentral area, therefore an MRT station had to be built in front of the nearby National Museum to allow connections to Stesen Sentral. The Muzium Negara MRT station opened on 17 July 2017, along with the underground footbridge that connects the MRT station to the main KL Sentral building.
KL Sentral bus hub
editKL Sentral has also been made a city bus hub by Rapid KL as part of its bus network revamp. It is the bus hub for city shuttle and trunk bus routes. [citation needed]
Buses to Singapore and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport also operate from KL Sentral, while most other bus operators go near KL Sentral along Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Also, a hop-on/hop-off tourist bus stop is located between Hilton and the station. Traveling by bus to Genting Highlands is also available here.
Bus services
editFrom KL Sentral
edit
800 : Bandar Utama bus hub – KL Sentral- T819 : Pusat Bandar Damansara MRT station – KL Sentral
- T851 : Parliament of Malaysia – KL Sentral (Only available during meeting session)
From Pasar Seni / Kotaraya / Lebuh Pudu
edit- 500 : Putrajaya Sentral – Lebuh Pudu bus hub (Lebuh Pudu-bound only)
- 600 : Puchong Utama – Pasar Seni
- 601 : Putra Perdana – Pasar Seni
- 602 : Puchong Prima – Pasar Seni
- 604 : Saujana Puchong – Pasar Seni
- 640 : Taman Sri Sentosa / Sri Manja – Pasar Seni
- 641 : Subang Jaya station – Pasar Seni
- 650 : Taman Desa – Pasar Seni
- 651 : Taman OUG – Pasar Seni via Awan Besar LRT station
- 652 : Awan Besar LRT station – Pasar Seni
- 671 : Flat Enggang Kinrara – Pasar Seni
- 710 : Port Klang – Pasar Seni via KL Sentral
- 750 : UiTM Section 2, Shah Alam – Pasar Seni
- 751 : Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam – Pasar Seni
- 770 : Subang Mewah, USJ 1 – Pasar Seni
- 772 : Subang Suria – Pasar Seni
- 780 : Kota Damansara – Pasar Seni
- 781 : Taman Medan / Taman Sri Manja – Pasar Seni
- 782 : Petaling Jaya Old Town – Pasar Seni
- 821 : Pantai Hillpark – Pasar Seni
- 822 : Bangsar Park – Pasar Seni
- 851 : Pasar Seni – Kompleks Mahkamah, Jalan Duta
- BET3 : Subang Mewah, USJ 1 – Pasar Seni via New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
- BET4 : Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam – Pasar Seni via New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
Hotels and residential zones
editLot C: St. Regis Hotel
editLot C houses the St. Regis Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The luxurious hotel consists of 208 rooms and suites started its operation in May 2016.[14]
Lot D: The Sentral Residences
editLot D consists of two 55-storey residential towers called The Sentral Residences that overlooks the Lake Gardens and the city. Jointly developed by MRCB, CapitaLand and Quill Group, construction was completed in 2015.[15]
Lot I : Hilton KL & Le Méridien Hotels
editLot I consists of two skyscraper hotels occupied by Hilton Kuala Lumpur & Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur, owned by Daito Asia Development Sdn. Bhd. and Daisho Asia Development Sdn. Bhd. respectively. The hotels opened for business in September and October 2004 respectively.
Lot K and L: Suasana Sentral and Suasana Sentral Loft
editLot K is the location of a serviced apartment, Suasana Sentral. Suasana Sentral consists of two blocks, or 400 units of apartments. It was completed in 2002 and is fully sold and occupied, with about 40% of the buyers coming from the international community.[citation needed]
The second phase of condominiums on Lot L, Suasana Sentral Loft was launched in early 2005 and began occupancy in early 2008. The 37 and 38-storey apartment towers have a total of 600 units. All have been sold.[citation needed]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Kamarul Yunus (30 April 2008). "MRCB: KL Sentral to be completed by 2015". Business Times. Kuala Lumpur. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
- ^ "Malaysia".
- ^ Andres, Leslie (2 August 2019). "'Incomplete' explosive device found in Bukit Damansara home". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur.
- ^ "Bom rakitan ditemukan di kompleks Damansara, Malaysia". www.aa.com.tr (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- ^ "KL Sentral LRT station renamed KL Sentral redONE". The Star. Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ "Platinum Sentral | Sentral REIT". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ "CIMB-Mapletree Management to raise RM1b for second fund". The Star. Kuala Lumpur. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
- ^ Sharon Kam (9 July 2008). "City & Country: KL Sentral scales new heights". The Edge. Archived from the original on 14 July 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
- ^ "MRCB in joint venture to develop KL Sentral land". Business Times. Kuala Lumpur. [permanent dead link]
- ^ "KL Sentral LRT station renamed KL Sentral redONE". The Star. Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ "First Look: Nu Sentral Mall at KL Sentral, Brickfields Review - VenusBuzz.com/Malaysian Women's Lifestyle". Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ "New Wing of Bukit Bintang Monorail Station Opens Today | MyRapid". Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ "Jejantas monorel Stesen KL Sentral dibuka sepenuhnya hari ini". Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ "Starwood Opens The St Regis Kuala Lumpur". Japan Today. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ MRCB Annual Report 2007 (PDF). MRCB Bhd. p. 63. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
External links
edit
- KL CAT
- Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station redevelopment: News and information about the station redevelopment.