24-hour electric train service in Malaysia for festive rush, says transport minister
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During festive periods, transport operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad keeps spare sets of trains in case of breakdowns. But Transport Minister Anthony Loke has instructed KTMB to optimise resources.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
PUTRAJAYA – Malaysians can look forward to 24-hour electric train service (ETS) during peak festive periods, starting this Chinese New Year, said Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
“During festive periods, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) usually kept spare sets as a precaution in case of breakdowns, so not all sets were deployed,” Mr Loke said.
“However, I have instructed KTMB that we must optimise our existing sets.”
KTMB is the main railway operator in Peninsular Malaysia.
“If possible, we want to ensure there are additional, unscheduled services when demand is high, which is similar to airlines adding extra flights or midnight flights,” said Mr Loke during a press conference after giving his New Year’s message at the Transport Ministry Majlis Amanat on Jan 28.
He added that during festive and other public holidays, services will be increased when demand is high.
“Ultimately, what we want is to increase capacity and frequency, optimise our assets and allow more people to benefit by securing ETS tickets,” he said.
The government is also providing subsidies for one-way domestic flight tickets on routes between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
