KUALA LUMPUR: Demand for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd’s (KTMB) Electric Train Service (ETS) to Johor has surged ahead of today’s election, with 95% of seats on the Kuala Lumpur-Johor Baru route sold as voters travel home to cast their ballots.
KTMB group chief executive officer Datuk Azlan Shah Al Bakri said the strong response reflected growing public confidence in rail travel and the company’s efforts to accommodate the expected increase in passenger traffic.
To meet the demand, KTMB scheduled 48 ETS trips between KL Sentral and JB Sentral, including 24 additional services.
“We have made available 15,960 seats on the KL Sentral-JB Sentral route, and 95% have already been sold,” he told a press conference yesterday.
About 7,300 of the seats were added through the extra services introduced specifically for the state election.
KTMB has also increased capacity on the Gemas-JB Sentral route from the usual 600 seats to 4,400 seats.
Around 60% have been booked, while the remaining tickets are being offered at a 30% discount to encourage more voters to return home.
Passengers using the southbound shuttle service from JB Sentral, including those travelling to stations such as Kulai, are also enjoying a 50% fare discount.
Azlan said the initiatives were aimed at making rail travel more affordable and convenient for Johoreans returning to vote.
“We are grateful for the overwhelming response from passengers and the confidence they have shown in our ETS services. We hope the Johor state election will proceed smoothly,” he said.
Among those travelling was 19-year-old law student Pravin Ganes, who will be voting for the first time.
The Kuala Lumpur-based student, who regularly uses the ETS to return home, said the service remained his preferred mode of transport because it was comfortable, reliable and punctual.
“If the journey is scheduled to take three-and-a-half hours, it usually arrives on time. Once I’m on board, I can just relax until I reach home,” he said, adding that he booked his ticket two weeks in advance, anticipating high demand before the election.
Administrative executive Lelawati Yunan, 48, who was travelling home to Kulai to vote and spend time with her family, said the train offered greater convenience than other transport options.
