Transport minister Mr Anthony Loke said the project had been approved following assessment of a detailed study submitted to the ministry by Penang Economic Planning Unit.
The north-south line will link Komtar in the island’s capital George Town with Jelutong, Gelugor Penang International Airport and Bayan Lepas, where it will serve the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) development.
Phase 1 will be 23.5km long with 20 stations, while phase 2 will be 6.4km long with seven stations.
Project documents must now be submitted to the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and a three-month public consultation must also be completed before the ministry can grant final approval.
The Ringgits 8.4bn ($US 2.04bn) LRT project is a key component of the state government’s Ringgits 46bn Penang Transport Master Plan.
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