BRT Sunway Line

The Sunway Line is a transit system that utilises a fully separated elevated dedicated busway, with elevated stations, connection to feeder services, integrated covered pedestrian access and parkand-ride facilities. It links up key areas in Sunway and Subang Jaya with seven stations, and is strategically connected to the KTM commuter station at Setia Jaya at one end and the new LRT station at USJ 6 at the other. It also utilises stateof-the-art, eco-friendly and all-electric buses with disabled-friendly features.

STATIONS’ SPACE REQUIREMENTS, RELATIONSHIPS AND CONCEPTS
As the bus route is located within a developed area, the design of the seven stations (six standalone stations and one integrated station with Station LRT 7 at USJ6) was required to be modified from a prototype design to suit each location. All stations for bus boarding were generally built above existing roads and connected to adjacent developments by pedestrian link bridges integrated with escalators. The stations are separated into three levels: ground/street level (areas where station entrances are located), pedestrian bridge crossing on the first floor (connecting both platforms) and concourse/ platform level, which is divided into unpaid and paid areas. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations were designed to serve areas not serviced by the LRT/MRT systems and perform roles normally done by feeder buses. Being elevated, the BRT system provides a reliable bus service not hindered by traffic congestions. In the case of the Sunway Line, it connects the inhabitants of Bandar Sunway to the LRT and Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) systems. All stations were developed based on a simple open concept that facilitates passenger movement aided by escalators. The stations were designed to integrate fully with existing and future developments. Connection is seamless at different levels. At grade, the stations are integrated with existing walkways and car drop-off lay-bys. They were designed with extensive roof eave overhangs to protect from the elements. Louvres are used to protect passengers from wind-driven rain and promote natural cross ventilation.

Distinct from street-level bus stops, the station platform was designed to be levelled with the bus floor for quick and easy boarding and is fully accessible for wheelchairs, disabled passengers and baby strollers. Fare payment is made prior to boarding, eliminating delays from paying on board. Each station is also identified by the distinct colour of its roof, and side and escalator cladding.

BRT DEPOT AND PARK ‘N’ RIDE FACILITY
The BRT Depot and Park ‘N’ Ride facility are located adjacent to Station 5, which is the only station along the Sunway Line that comes with such a facility. It consists of a car park with three levels and a bus depot on the fourth level. The BRT Sunway Line Depot was designed to accommodate 30 buses, providing a comprehensive maintenance workshop and charging station for the electric buses. This depot is directly connected to the busway at the same level, facilitating easy access. This depot also houses the administration office of the BRT Sunway Line. It is the nerve centre of the BRT system and continuously monitors the movement of buses along the route and regulates the schedule and frequency of services. The control centre also monitors the internal activity of each bus by CCTV with a state-of-the-art security system. The three-storey Park ‘N’ Ride is located below the bus depot where it is able to accommodate approximately 1,150 car parking bays at any one time. Four hundred bays are dedicated for BRT users. This Park ‘N’ Ride facility also allows dedicated parking bays for single lady drivers, other than handicapped parking bays. The Park ‘N’ Ride and depot are monitored with 24-hour CCTV. This parking facility provides direct access to Station 5, which is also connected to Monash University.

CONSTRAINTS
The stations are classified as lightweight openstructure buildings. Materials and resources were procured locally and overseas. The two main materials are steel and concrete. Most of the steel was imported due to shortage in the country. The need to design and construct based on acquired limited land space and controllable cost are some of the key constraints in this project. To overcome these problems, using steel as the main material is key to the station’s design, where all fabrication can be produced in the factory and assembled on-site to save time and cost.