SEREMBAN: The Transport Ministry wants an express train service between Seremban and Kuala Lumpur that will take less than an hour of travel, says Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister said this would be possible once the ministry secures more train sets and the Klang Valley Double Tracking (KVDT) upgrade project is completed.
"My commitment is to have an express service (between Seremban and Kuala Lumpur) where the train only stops at selected stations with less than an hour of travel time.
"This is a possibility once upgrading work along the Seremban-Kuala Lumpur rail line is completed," he told reporters after the ground-breaking ceremony for the Seremban Sentral Transit Oriented Development project at Seremban Sentral.
Loke was responding to a question why the KTM Komuter service was able to ply the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban in about 70 minutes over two decades ago but it takes twice as long now.
He said this due to the KVDT upgrade works, which required the closure of one line along certain stretches.
"The upgrade will take about three more years. Once done, we can look forward to better and faster rail services," he said.
He said the KTM Komuter had also been facing problems as some trains were no longer operable leading to insufficient train sets.
He said this was why the government struck a deal with China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) to lease trains.
"We will have more train sets soon and not limited to Komuter only. Once done, we will be able to provide more train services, including express trains," he said.
Loke said those living or commuting to Seremban would also benefit once the Kuala Lumpur-Johor Baru Electric Train Service is launched on Dec 12.
"They will also be able to take the ETS, which is more expensive," he said.
Loke also denied claims that rail services such as the LRT and monorail in the Klang Valley had deteriorated.
He said the government had spent hundreds of millions of ringgit to improve train services in recent years.
"We admit that there are problems but to say it has worsened is not true.
"What Prasarana needs is to have better communication with commuters whenever there is a disruption so they are not inconvenienced," he said.
Loke said the ministry had adopted the "Mean Kilometres Between Failure" (MKBF) indicator, an industry metric used to measure the reliability of rail transport systems.
He added he would also ask Prasarana to give a detailed report on the number of breakdowns and disruptions to the media.
