KUALA LUMPUR AIRPORT

Like Kansai (AR November 1994), Kuala Lumpur airport formal and spatial set piece is the international departures hall at upper level. Here, the airport concourse is enclosed by an elaborate roof of linked hyperbolic paraboloids, supported by squat, conical columns which also contain and distribute services. The undulating Kuala Lumpur's airport roof has a peculiarly sensuous quality, like melting domes, a cluster of umbrellas or a billowing Bedouin tent. The underside is clad in narrow strips of wood and vertical slashes of glazing incised along the edges of each paraboloid wash the cavernous space with an ethereal luminance, reflected by the lustrous floor of highly polished marble and terrazzo. The roof form alludes to traditional Islamic domes and vernacular Malaysian timber structures. Oversailing beyond the external wall line, the paraboloids provide protection against the heat and glare of the tropical sun.

On airside, the Kuala Lumpur's airport terminal is linked to a longitudinal pier.

Running along the Kuala Lumpur's airport terminal's south-east edge, the pier has the capacity to serve around a dozen planes. Beyond the pier is a pair of cruciform satellites, reached by shuttle rail links from the terminal complex. Acknowledging that passengers of Kuala Lumpur's airport may be obliged to spend long periods in the satellites if flights are delayed, care has evidently been taken with their design. (For most airports, the form of the satellites is usually of secondary or negligible importance.) At Kuala Lumpur's airport, each satellite has a quartet of three-storey arms wrapped around a central circular hub. Kuala Lumpur's airport services, arrivals and departures occupy separate floors. The central hubs of Kuala Lumpur's airport take the form of inverted cones open to the sky, filled with luxuriant greenery, like fragments of rainforest. Although the landscaping is still in its infancy, the effect is nonetheless diverting and the greenery will also filter light through the inclined glazed walls surrounding the hub gardens.

The cruciform plan ingeniously attempts to reduce lengthy trudges to individual gates.

Kuala Lumpur's airport passengers are disgorged in the centre of the satellite and board their planes from gates stationed on both sides of each satellite arm. The Kuala Lumpur airport satellites employ a similar but simplified architectural language of undulating roofs and tree-like steel structural elements. Timber-clad ceilings are randomly studded with spotlights, like stars blazing through a tented canopy, heightening the shimmering play of light and reflections. The Kuala Lumpur airport potential for expansion was a major element of the brief, so the basic arrangement of terminal and two satellites can simply be handed (replicated in mirror image) about the central station and road network. Satellites (or even half satellites) can be added incrementally as necessary, and the longitudinal pier attached to the main Kuala Lumpur airport terminal can also be extended. Considering the shambolic evolution of most major airports, this sense of ordered development immediately sets Kuala Lumpur apart, but it is also distinguished by the invigorating drama of its public spaces, which endeavours to civilize the drear experience of modern air travel.

The Airport - City Link

Kuala Lumpur's Airport Transportation is the Express Rail Link from the Kuala Lumpur airport  to City is a new 57km line between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the city centre provides a minimum passenger journey time of 28 minutes.

The Airport Transportation Express Rail Link (ERL) Express Rail Link from the Kuala Lumpur airport to City in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, opened on April 19 when the construction consortium, SYZ, handed it over officially to ERL SB, the company which was awarded the 30-year concession by the government to finance, design, build, manage, operate, and maintain the $US 632 million airport railway.

ERL connects Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with Sentral station and it is operated by two distinct types of passenger service. The Airport Transportation Express Rail Link from the Kuala Lumpur airport  to City Airport Terminal Express service operates every 15 minutes and provides a non-stop journey time of 28 minutes. Commercial services were launched immediately on opening, following several weeks of trial running. A commuter rail service (CRS) is also due to be introduced next month which will serve three intermediate stations at Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya, and Salak Tinggi. This will operate every 30 minutes, providing an end-to-end journey time of 36 minutes.

Putrajaya is a new city currently under construction which is already the administrative capital of Malaysia. It is part of a 15 by 50km area along the ERL route which has been designated as a Multimedia Super Corridor, offering tax concessions and other incentives to attract high-tech industries. Another new city called Cyberjaya is taking shape which will become a so-called intelligent city of multimedia industries, research and development centres, and company headquarters.

The Express Rail Link (ERL) Express Rail Link from the Kuala Lumpur airport to City in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, electrified at 25kV 50Hz, has been built as standard gauge, rather than metre gauge as is the case with Malayan Railway's (KTM) network, to enable it to accommodate 160km/h services. Initially, it is expected to carry 6000 passengers/day, but, as the new cities continue to grow, this will increase to 8000/day by the end of this year and is likely to grow further to 10,000 next year. ERL has been designed ultimately to enable Airport Express services to run at 10-minute headways and CRS to run at 20-minute intervals.

The Express Rail Link (ERL) Express Rail Link from the Kuala Lumpur airport to City in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ERL SB has two shareholders--Tabung Haji Technologies (THT), with a 60% stake, and YTL Corporation, with 40%. The turn-key construction contract, worth $US 519 million, was awarded to SYZ, which comprises Siemens, with a 59% share, and YTL, with 41%. Siemens was responsible for the electro-mechanical part of the contract, and YTL for civil works.

Funding

Funding for the The Express Rail Link (ERL) Express Rail Link from the Kuala Lumpur airport to City in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is split 50:50 between foreign and domestic institutions and investors. The foreign component is funded by KfW and three German banks, while the domestic element is funded equally between the Malaysian government and shareholders' equity.

A company called Express Rail Link Maintenance Support (EMAS) has been formed by Siemens (51%) and ERL SB (49%) to operate and maintain the link under a Ringgits 103.5 million ($US 27.2 million) contact. Siemens says this is the first time that it has been involved directly in operating a railway. It is assuming the railway risk, while ERL SB is taking the commercial risk. However, ERL SB has an option to buy out Siemens during the first three years, or Siemens can choose to sell its share to ERL SB at the end of that period.

The trains operated on the Express Rail Link (ERL) Express Rail Link from the Kuala Lumpur airport to City in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are Desiro ET-type four-car emus, built by Siemens. This fleet comprises eight Airport Express trains and four CRS trains. Both types of train are 68.7m long and operate at up to 160km/h. They have the same axle-arrangement, starting tractive effort, acceleration capability, and 1.8MW rated power.

The trains from the Kuala Lumpur airport to City in Kuala Lumpur are permanently-coupled articulated units joined by Jacobs bogies. The trainsets can be coupled to form longer trains of up to three units via automatic centre couplers. Both types are fitted with air-conditioning, and have a low-floor design to enable a level entrance from 760mm platforms. Wide, clearly laid-out inter-car gangways ensure a spacious interior which is accessible throughout.

However, there are some marked differences between the two types of train to reflect their particular functions. The Airport Transportation Express trains have seating for 156 passengers. They incorporate a more comfortable seat design, carpeted flooring, toilets, extra space for luggage with additional glass racks, and a separate secure compartment for transporting luggage which has already been checked in for outgoing or incoming flights via KLIA.

The CRS trains have seating for 144 passengers, as well as less room for luggage. This allows them to carry up to a further 396 passengers standing. The floors are laid with a rugged plastic covering. The interior design is more functional for carrying large volumes, with fewer luxury features. Each version of the Desiro also has its own distinctive livery.

An airline check-in and check-out facility has been built at Sentral station, which itself was only opened a year ago by KTM (IRJ May 2001 p19). The station provides an interchange with the Putra light metro network as well as with the monorail line, currently under construction, which is due to open later this year.