The highly anticipated Sarawak Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART), which is also the world’s first Hydrogen powered ART, will has been named ‘BULAN’.
A report by Borneo Post stated that the names was unveiled by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg on 28 July 2023.
Why is the world’s first ART named ‘BULAN’?
The same report said that the name was chosen to remember the Sarawak Government Railway’s first locomotive with the same name.
Then, ‘BULAN’ operated from 1841 until 1946 and it served Kuching in the early part of the 20th century at Jalan Keretapi which is now known as Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi.
During the Japanese occupation, the locomotive disappeared and what had happened to it is unknown.
Test run of Kuching ART System begins
Meanwhile, Sarawak Metro which is in charge of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) has announced that the engineering test run for the Kuching ART will begin from August 23.
To facilitate the test, temporary road closure and road diversion for the world’s first Hydrogen ART prototype will be done at Kuching Isthmus until October 31.
The affected roads will be Jalan Keruing passing Menara LCDA, Menara SEDC, Menara Sarawak Energy and the Borneo Convention Centre. All the roads are within Kuching Ithmus.
The map below shows the affected routes, including when roads would be open for use.
A report by Borneo Post further quoted Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin as saying that the ART prototype will be parked at the Kuching Port Authority’s Pending Terminal until the end of the engineering run, before it is moved to Kota Samarahan for a month-long Proof Of Concept (POC) exercise.
During the POC, the world’s first Hydrogen ART is expected to move along a 3km permanent dedicated lane alongside the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway.
- LEARN more about the Sarawak ART System
- BUY model of train
- SEE news source: BP1, BP2
