Special Edition of T-21 publication covers the proposed Malta Metro

A Special Edition of T-21: The Transport Malta Quarterly has just been published to further share the proposed Malta Metro light rail underground network with the general public.

Transport Malta said that this metro had been proposed to the Government by the engaged international engineering consultancy firm ARUP.

The publication features additional insights into the proposal of Malta Metro, which concept is intended to “move our country into the future when it comes to the implementation of a Mass Rapid Transit System,” Transport Malta said.

It added that, “his study has been conducted with the utmost rigour and thoroughness and therefore it is not a simple investigation, as one can determine upon reading through this publication.”

In this latest publication Malta Metro’s Project Director and editor of T-21, Mr. Peter Paul Barbara, who worked on this project from the inception of the proposed network, gives a detailed run-down of the process of the several phases and options that this study involves.

According to Transport Malta,the study, carried out over a span of almost five years by a team of professional engineers, has been based on Malta’s need to tackle increasing traffic congestion, promote the improvement of transport sustainability, the improvement of the physical and natural environment and the improvement of air quality levels, and reduce greenhouse emissions. “Above all, it is intended to improve the quality of life of all residents and visitors in Malta alike.”

The study is proposing a total of 24 stations, with an additional one in Ta’ Qali which is still being discussed, 35.5km of rail (which might be increased or decreased in the future depending on the outcome of additional studies and discussions), as well as a service and maintenance depot.

“The system will have a revamped bus network with feeder lines and an inter-town – village circular bus network to compliment the metro lines and make the public transport network faster and more efficient with an improved user experience. In fact, the proposed bus network will be one of the future core detailed studies which will be carried out by our consultants in the years to come,” Transport Malta said.

“Malta’s cultural heritage and current infrastructure were given consideration throughout the concept design of the proposed light rail metropolitan system,” the Authority said. “Even though some parts of the initial plans were derailed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vast experience of the consultants and engineers assures that this study is one where every possible consequence and outcome was taken into account.”

There is also the opportunity to “read further and investigate the technical implications and implementations of the Metro study.” Transport Malta stressed that “since the study had started almost five years ago, the Business Case had to be revisited to consider Malta’s economic and financial scenario in the post Covid-19 years.”

The Authority said that the contribution from Transport Malta’s Chairman and CEO, Mr. Joseph Bugeja, expresses how the intensive study of the Metro system in Malta uncovered a necessity for this system to be implemented in our country, in order to move further towards a more sustainable mode of mobility.

“Since the current national transport system is constantly evolving and trying to accommodate the ascending number of vehicles on our roads, it was essential for a study like this to take place and attempt to completely shift the frame of mind of a road user in Malta,” it said.

Transport Minister Ian Borg, describes in the publication the vision for the transport sector and how, similar to road projects proposed in the past, this project may, albeit in the distant future, yield the same positive results in terms of transport in Malta.

“As the current transport system will inevitably face challenges in the future, efforts towards a new Mass Rapid Transit System are necessary and appropriate,” he said.

Transport Malta’s Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO, Mr. Kevin Farrugia, delves into the presentation of these results and the proposed solution. He states that Transport Malta is “looking towards the future with optimism and a workable solution which is ideal for our country.”

Transport Malta explained that each individual proposed Metro station is featured in this Special Edition, with a description of the suggested locations, as well as the future integration with other elements found in their vicinity.

The three Metro lines, Red, Green, and Blue, all pass through strategic and frequented locations, both by the Maltese public as well as tourists.

The reasoning behind these proposed locations is expressed for every single one, the Authority said, and the immersive visuals in this publication will help the general public actually picture what the future of a Mass Rapid Transit System in Malta could possibly look like.

The editor of the publication is Mr. Peter Paul Barbara, who is Director within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of Transport Malta. The publication is produced with the collaboration and assistance of the Authority’s Marketing Department.

The publication is available on the Transport Malta website by clicking here ^[1].