IMPROVING ETS SERVICE: 10 NEW TRAINS ACQUIRED, 50 MORE ON THE WAY - HASBI

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- The government has acquired 10 new train sets for the Electric Train Service (ETS), which is expected to be operational from the first quarter of next year, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.

He said this is part of efforts implemented by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) together with its agencies, such as the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), to ensure safe and efficient ETS services for passengers.

"The MOT is very concerned about the high demand from users for ETS. Currently, 10 existing ETS train sets are undergoing level four maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), which is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025.

"This is to ensure that these electric trains are in the best condition and reliable for ETS operations. MRO level three and four works will continue for the remaining 14 ETS train sets currently in operation, starting in the first quarter of 2025," he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Negara today.

He was responding to a question from Senator Baharuddin Ahmad, who wanted to know the ETS passenger statistics this year, particularly for destinations to Perlis, and the government's efforts to improve the ETS service, which has become the preferred choice for the public, especially during festive seasons and school holidays.

To meet the high demand for the service, Hasbi said the government is also procuring 50 additional train sets, comprising Electric Multiple Units (EMU) and Diesel Multiple Units (DMU).

Additionally, he said KTMB also provides extra trains, especially during festive seasons and school holidays, particularly for the KL Sentral-Padang Besar route, to meet the high demand for travel to and from the northern sector every year.

In response to Baharuddin's question about ETS passenger statistics in Perlis, he said that there are two railway stations served by ETS trains in the state, namely the Arau and Padang Besar stations; with a total of 490,105 passengers (an average of 1,600 passengers per day) recorded from January to October last year.

-- BERNAMA