KLUANG: KTM Bhd’s long-delayed Gemas to Johor Baru electrified double track project (EDTP) notched a significant milestone with the announcement that the Electric Train Service (ETS) will commence from KL Sentral to Kluang on Aug 30. His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, performed the symbolic opening of this sector yesterday by driving the first of the 10 new train sets under the ETS3 series from the old Kuala Lumpur station to Kluang. According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who was among those accompanying the King on the maiden ETS trip, the new train series is capable of hitting 140kph. Other guests on board the special train included Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, and Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani. Awarded to the YTL-SIPP JV, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Gemas-Johor Baru EDTP was held on April 3, 2018, with projected completion by October 2021.
However, KTMB only managed to open a short electrified stretch of about 25km from Gemas to Segamat on March 15 this year. When the train arrived at Kluang at 11.15am, His Majesty was greeted by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and other state leaders as they headed to open Laman Rel Mahkota nearby. Laman Rel Mahkota is a 2.8km linear park developed beneath the tracks of the Gemas-Johor Baru EDTP, which runs on an elevated alignment when it passes through Kluang town. The park will be opened to the public starting Monday, from 6am to 9pm daily.
Meanwhile, state public works, transport, infrastructure and communication committee chairman Mohd Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the ETS is expected to reach Johor Baru by the end of this year.
“I believe we should be able to reach Johor Baru around November or December,” he told reporters. Likewise, Loke had also told the media on Aug 6 that the full completion target is “end of the year”. The Star reported on Aug 3 that it is impossible for ETS to reach Johor Baru by the third quarter of this year after checks along the stretch from Segamat to JB Sentral found that a significant amount of electrification and signalling works were incomplete. For now, there is only one ETS service from KL Sentral to Kluang and vice versa, each day. The journey from KL Sentral to Kluang departs at 7.45am, while the return trip departs at 5.15pm, with the journey in either direction taking at least 3.5 hours, at prices starting from RM80 one-way.
The intermediate stops between Kuala Lumpur and Kluang are Bandar Tasik Selatan, Kajang, Seremban, Pulau Sebang, Batang Melaka, Gemas, Segamat, Labis, Bekok and Paloh. Tickets are on sale now via the KTMB Mobile (KITS) app, ticket kiosks or KTMB website.
By VENESA DEVI and RHEMA SENG (The Star)
