Major delays on several KTM Komuter and ETS routes until June 3
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), in a statement on Monday (June 1), said the delays affect KTM Komuter services on the Pulau Sebang - Batu Caves - Pulau Sebang and Tanjung Malim - KL Sentral - Tanjung Malim routes, as well as ETS services.
"The signal migration works are being carried out between Kepong and Salak Selatan stations to ensure a more efficient and safer signalling system capable of supporting the increasing number of passenger train operations in the Klang Valley,' the statement said.
KTMB said the works are part of Phase 1 of the Klang Valley Double Track (KVDT) infrastructure upgrade project, with all other project components completed in April.
Its chief operating officer Mohd Zain Mat Taha also extended the management's apologies to passengers affected by the delays.
Phase 1 of the KVDT project, which began in 2015, involves the rehabilitation of tracks and railway systems along the Rawang-Salak Selatan and Simpang Batu-Sentul routes, covering approximately 110km.
The scope includes upgrades to track formation and structures, overhead line systems, signalling and communication systems, electrification works and enhancements at 16 key stations across the Klang Valley corridor.
Phase 2 of the KVDT project, covering a 140km stretch from Salak Selatan to Seremban, and Kuala Lumpur to Port Klang, commenced in February 2023 and is expected to be completed by 2029.
Since the start of the track rehabilitation and upgrade works, KTM Komuter services have been operating at 30-minute intervals, as only a single track is available in the affected sections under repair.
"These upgrades are crucial to ensuring the safety of rail transport, especially given the ageing infrastructure and the presence of several flood-prone stretches along the mainline,' the statement added.
Once completed, the project will significantly improve capacity and efficiency to accommodate growing demand. The upgraded, modern signalling system will also help reduce train service intervals. – Bernama
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
06-08-2025
- The Star
Electric Train Service to JB Sentral on schedule
JOHOR BARU: KTM Bhd's Electric Train Service (ETS) alignment work progress to JB Sentral here is on schedule, the state government revealed. State works, transportation, infrastructure and communication committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said there is no delay in work being carried out along the alignment from Segamat to Johor Baru. 'Work on the ETS is on schedule based on the timeline given. In fact, testing for the ETS service to Kluang will start on Thursday. 'If all goes well, the ETS service between Segamat and Kluang can start by Aug 15,' he said when contacted yesterday. Mohamad Fazli said if the work progress kept to the timeline, the ETS service to Johor Baru would start by the year's end. He said that, according to the schedule, the work on the alignment at JB Sentral is anticipated to be finished by November, after which testing would commence. 'Once everything gets the nod, we are looking at December for the ETS service to start its operations to JB Sentral,' he added. Sunday Star reported that those hoping to ride the ETS to Johor Baru will have to wait until the end of the year, if not next year. Checks along the 180km alignment from Segamat to JB Sentral recently showed that significant electrification and signalling works were incomplete, especially along the 100km stretch between Kluang and JB Sentral. At the section near Johor Baru, the catenary system is still undone, with contact wires and other critical components of the overhead line equipment (Ohle) yet to be installed. Ohle is the system of overhead wires and supporting structures that supply electricity to power electric trains, and it is a critical part of railway electrification. The 192km stretch from Gemas to Johor Baru was touted to be ready for service by August, with Transport Minister Anthony Loke also saying so earlier this year. However, there has been no update since the short stretch between Gemas and Segamat began ETS operations on March 15. On another matter, Mohamad Fazli said the state government has sent its proposed second Rapid Transit System link to connect Iskandar Puteri and Tuas in Singapore to the Federal Government.
The Star
02-08-2025
- The Star
Segamat-JB ETS not going to be ready anytime soon
PETALING JAYA: Those hoping to ride KTM Bhd's (KTMB) Electric Train Service (ETS) to Johor Baru will have to wait until the end of the year, if not next year, for their hopes to become a reality. An inspection by The Star along 180km alignment from Segamat to JB Sentral recently found that it is impossible for ETS services to reach the southern city anytime this quarter as significant electrification and signalling works remain incomplete, especially along the 100km stretch between Kluang and JB Sentral. At the section near Johor Baru, the catenary system is still incomplete, with contact wires and other critical components of the overhead line equipment (OHLE) yet to be installed. OHLE is the system of overhead wires and supporting structures that supply electricity to power electric trains, and it is a critical part of railway electrification. Incomplete: A lot of work still needs to be done to KTMB's rail electrification and signalling infrastructure in the second half of the Gemas-JB double tracking project. At JB Sentral (pic), only a rudimentary pole structure is seen on July 28. — MENG YEW CHOONG/The Star The 192km stretch from Gemas to Johor Baru has been touted by some to be ready for service by August, with Transport Minister Anthony Loke saying so earlier in the year. However, there has been no update since the short stretch between Gemas and Segamat began ETS operations on March 15. When KTMB opened advance ticket sales on June 30 for travel up to Dec 31, no southbound ETS tickets were offered beyond Segamat. Last Wednesday, KTMB announced the suspension of its advance ticket sales beyond December, apologising that it will not be offering January 2026 tickets anytime soon. It typically opens ticket sales up to six months in advance. According to train systems specialist Yuslizar Daud, the process of fully installing and testing an overhead electrical system can be lengthy. 'Stringing of the OHLE, tensioning, adjustment with the tracks, energisation, testing and commissioning will take considerable time. Then there is the final inspection by the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) before the green light is given. 'I don't see (from the picture) how it can be ready even by September,' said Yuslizar, the former head of the now-defunct Land Public Transport Commission's Rail Division. However, it is understood that KTMB is attempting to accelerate the opening of the 90km stretch from Segamat to Kluang, so that ETS services can be extended to Kluang by this quarter, though it seems that KTMB has yet to submit the relevant application to Apad. Also happening at the same time is the testing of new ETS train sets, which recently arrived from China, in line with the statutory requirement for the first unit – known as the golden train – to log at least 8,000km without demonstrating any fault in what is known as the fault-free run (FFR). FFR is a standard requirement to ensure the integrity of the entire system before it could be deployed for commercial operations, and all new train sets are required to undergo the procedure, though similar sets may pass with a lower testing mileage provided the golden train clocks 8,000km or more flawlessly. It is assumed that KTMB will attempt to operate ETS services to Kluang using its older ETS trains, if Apad gives the green light for the stretch to open for service. Queries sent to KTMB and the Transport Ministry did not yield any insight, with the respective agencies asking The Star to contact the 'other side' instead.
The Star
01-08-2025
- The Star
Experts praise plan to reduce reliance on roads
Railway overhaul: A file photo of KTMB cargo containers parked on tracks near the Setia Jaya station in Petaling Jaya. Experts say rail freight infrastructure needs to be improved to support the government's plan to shift more people and cargo away from roads under 13MP. PETALING JAYA: Transport experts are optimistic about the positive effects of the government's plan to shift more people and cargo away from roads under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). Road safety expert Law Teik Hua said the government's plan to push for increased adoption of its road-to-rail initiative was necessary to reduce heavy traffic on busy highways. 'This is a good first step towards reducing dependence on road transport by getting the logistics sector to switch from only transporting goods using large trucks. 'This may take a lot of load off key roadways like the North-South Expressway, resulting in lower carbon emissions as well,' he said. However, Law said for the plan to work, rail freight infrastructure needs to be improved so that it can compete with vehicles in terms of cost, flexibility and reliability. 'People can also lose faith in rail as a viable option if there are delays in maintenance or service,' said Law, who heads Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre. He also praised the government's plan to add 300 Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) vans, 217 new train sets, and over 1,000 new buses to the public transport ecosystem. 'This is a big step towards fixing the last-mile connectivity problem. 'By reducing the existing load on extremely congested routes like the LRT Kelana Jaya and MRT Kajang lines, passengers might finally see wait times between trains cut down to reasonable periods and less overcrowding. 'This would make rail travel much more comfortable, convenient and competitive. 'But infrastructure, maintenance and integration too must be updated and modernised to keep up with the growing fleet,' he added. Malaysian Public Transport Users Association president Ajit Johl said the push to get logistics companies' trucks off the roads would help reduce accident cases. 'The challenge now will be on the government's ability to get these companies to come on board, as rail transportation may not be feasible for all forms of cargo. 'Last-mile delivery challenges might also be an issue, so we suggest setting up a task force to learn why rail usage is low,' he said. However, Ajit said the government must consider removing or lowering the current fuel subsidy once the planned increase in the number of trains and buses is operational. 'It would not make much sense to continue subsidising petrol at such low prices if they want to encourage public transport adoption,' he added. Zac Cheong, vice secretary of Transit Malaysia, acknowledged that increased public transportation is a positive step. 'In countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, they have between 5,000 and 8,000 buses. 'If we want these services to be efficient, we need a large number of buses and vans, especially in the Klang Valley. Otherwise, it will not be impactful,' said Cheong. He highlighted that with a Klang Valley population of around 10 million, the public transport services must match this scale to truly benefit the people. Cheong also suggested that if a DRT service proves popular in a certain area, a dedicated bus service should be introduced to accommodate the demand. This comes after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would focus on promoting its road-to-rail initiative to shift cargo transport away from roads with the goal of raising rail usage to 13%.
