Long wait over: LRT3 finally rolls into Shah Alam, bringing relief for commuters

SHAH ALAM, June 29 — As station staff counted down from 10 before the shutters rolled open at exactly 6am, 27-year-old Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) student Qamarul stepped forward, tapped his Touch ‘n Go card at the gantry and became the first commuter to enter Seksyen 7 Shah Alam station as the long-awaited LRT3 Shah Alam Line began operations.

“I’ve waited for this for a long time,” said the Perak native.

“From when I was studying in Kuala Lumpur until now, when I’m studying in Shah Alam at UiTM.”

With his phone recording throughout, Qamarul documented almost every step of the morning, from walking through the station entrance and tapping his card to riding the escalator up to the platform before the first train arrived.

He said the new rail line would make travelling around the Klang Valley much easier.

“I feel relieved. Before this I had to chase buses. Now it’ll be easier to get to Kuala Lumpur or Klang.”

Qamarul, who was the first commuter to enter the Seksyen 7 Shah Alam LRT3 station, speaks to Malay Mail. — Picture by Muhammad Yusry

Rather than travelling to a particular destination, Qamarul planned to experience the entire line.

“I’m going to Bandar Utama first, then I’ll turn back and go to Johan Setia. I just want to enjoy the first journey.”

Seven other commuters boarded the first train departing from the station towards Bandar Utama. A handful of passengers were already on board after getting on at stations further down the line.

Moments after the train left, two UiTM students reached the platform, only to realise they had missed the inaugural departure by about a minute.

“We’ve waited a long time for this too. Luckily it started operating before we graduated,” said Muhammad Irfan Waiz, 22, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Intelligent Systems Engineering.

Irfan, who lives in Cheras, and his classmate Muhammad Muqriy Muhammad Wildan, 22, from Bangi, both had classes scheduled for 8am.

Classmates, Muhammad Irfan Waiz (left) and Muhammad Muqriy Muhammad Wildan, waiting for their first LRT3 train to arrive at the station. — Picture by Muhammad Yusry

Instead of heading straight to campus, they decided to take a short ride on the new line before lectures.

“We’ll explore a few nearby stations first before class,” Irfan said.

He said the railway would make travelling home on weekends much easier.

Muqriy said he had been looking forward to seeing the trains for himself.

“I can’t wait to see what the train is like, the interior and everything,” he said.

By 6.30am, Seksyen 7 station had begun receiving a steady stream of commuters.

Cars pulled up one after another outside both entrances to drop off passengers before driving away. A Smart Selangor electric feeder bus also arrived with more commuters heading for the station.

Inside, station staff greeted passengers with route maps and handheld fans as more people made their way through the fare gates towards trains bound for Bandar Utama.

Among them was accountant Nur Shamimi, 26, who lives near Tasik Seksyen 7 and works in Kuala Lumpur.

“Finally. We’ve waited so long,” she said.

“I couldn’t stand driving to Glenmarie early in the morning anymore, just to secure a parking space. If you’re a little late, you end up parking by the roadside, disturbing other cars and risking getting fined by the local council.”

Her father dropped her off at Seksyen 7 station that morning.

From there, she planned to travel to the Glenmarie 2 station, switch to the Kelana Jaya Line and continue to Masjid Jamek.

“I don’t have to wake up before sunrise just to fight for parking at Glenmarie anymore. If you’re only slightly late, the car park is already full.”

She said she had been waiting for the project since she was in school.

“When they first announced LRT3, I was excited because it’d be easier to go into Kuala Lumpur during weekends. Then it kept getting delayed until I stopped expecting it to open anytime soon.

“Now it’s finally operating,” she said.

Another commuter, who wished to be known only as Ain, 28, said the station near her home could change her daily commute.

The marketing executive, who works near Abdullah Hukum station, said she usually spent more than an hour driving into Kuala Lumpur.

“I want to try taking the train to work today. I want to see whether driving or taking the train is more tiring,” she said.

For many Shah Alam residents, commuting by rail previously meant driving to Glenmarie or Subang Jaya stations, searching for parking before walking to the platforms. 

Others drove directly into Kuala Lumpur, often spending around one-and-a-half hours in traffic during the morning rush.

The 37.8km Shah Alam Line runs from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia with 20 operational stations.

The network is supported by 40 feeder buses operating across 13 routes with 323 stops at RM1 per ride, alongside 44 Rapid On-Demand vans serving 20 zones for RM2 per trip.

Prasarana Malaysia Berhad expects the line to serve about 67,000 passengers daily in its first year of operations, with ridership projected to increase to 117,708 passengers a day within five years.

Construction of the project began in 2016 before undergoing several revisions over the years, including cost rationalisation measures that saw five stations shelved in 2018. The stations were later reinstated under Budget 2024.

During the launch yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that commuters can ride the newly launched LRT3 Shah Alam Line for free for a month starting today until July 31.

He also said that its feeder bus services along the Shah Alam route will be free of charge.