Sarawak Confirms Purchase Of 38 Hydrogen-Powered Trams From China

In the State Assembly today, Sarawak Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Dr. Jerip Susil confirmed that the Sarawak government had purchased 38 units of hydrogen-powered trams from China, despite China having stopped using them. This came after state assemblyman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh of Bawang Assan raised a matter of inquiry pertaining to the issue.
"Our ART project (autonomous rapid transport) in Kuching will proceed as planned and we have confirmed the purchase of 38 hydrogen-powered trams from China. They will arrive in batches in Sarawak.

According to NST, the main justification given for the suspension of hydrogen-powered trams in China is poor demand and ridership as a result of competition from other public transportation options such buses, metros, trains, and e-hailing.

"The lack of first-mile and last-mile connectivity, such as not having feeder buses or any form of services to take passengers to and from the nearest stations, could have also been the contributing factors," Jerip stated in response to questions by Wong.

The remaining ART vehicle units are anticipated to be shipped from China in batches between 2025 and 2027, with the first two units arriving in Sarawak by the first quarter of 2025 for test run purposes.

Regarding expenses, Jeril claimed that he is unable to estimate the project's total cost because of the steadily rising expenses. According to The Vibes, the hydrogen trams in Kuching city alone will cost RM 1.42 billion of the RM 10.9 billion State Budget 2025. For the hydrogen trams, the state is anticipated to spend a minimum of RM 6 billion.