Kuching ART Project Provides Technical Reference for CRRC’s Global Expansion

Malaysia, October 2026 — Sarawak’s Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) is gaining international relevance as a reference project for the development and deployment of Autonomous Rapid Transit technology. China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) has confirmed that the technical requirements and implementation experience from the project are informing similar proposals overseas, including Hong Kong’s proposed Kai Tak Smart and Green Mass Transit System.

The development was highlighted during a meeting between Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin and a CRRC delegation led by Xiao Bingquan, general manager of Hunan CRRC Zhixing Technology Co Ltd. The delegation also outlined ART deployments and development activities in Chinese cities including Zhuzhou, Yibin, Changsha, Xi’an, Harbin and Shanghai. Internationally, CRRC has deployed ART vehicles in Abu Dhabi, where they have been adapted for extreme temperatures, and is pursuing planned trials in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ljubljana, Slovenia, alongside market development in Brazil and Argentina.

For Kuching, the project is progressing through vehicle testing, production and delivery. Mobilus Sdn Bhd reported that the ART vehicles had completed the required type tests at a specialised automotive testing facility in Chongqing, China, covering braking performance and other technical and safety requirements. The project team is targeting six vehicles by the end of 2026, including two already delivered to Sarawak, while the third and fourth vehicles are expected to undergo pre-delivery inspections in December. Arrangements are being made to ship the remaining four vehicles before year-end.

Preparations are also underway for a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) assembly programme in Kuching. Developing local assembly capabilities could support technology transfer, workforce skills development and greater participation by Sarawak-based industries, while creating the potential for Kuching to become a regional ART assembly hub. Project stakeholders have emphasised that production schedules must remain aligned with technical, quality and safety requirements before the vehicles are accepted for delivery.

The project’s growing relevance to overseas proposals illustrates how an implementation programme in Southeast Asia can contribute to the international development of emerging transport technologies. For CRRC, Kuching provides practical experience that may support future ART opportunities in other markets. For Sarawak, the potential benefits extend beyond public transport modernisation to local industrial development, skills transfer and a possible role in the regional supply chain for ART vehicles.

Source: DayakDaily