Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM) has received the first batch of six electric train coaches from the Transport Ministry.
Its minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the Six-Car-Set (SCS) manufactured by China’s Zhu Zhou Electric Locomotives Co Ltd were shipped from Shanghai Port on Sept 13 and reached Westport at 2am yesterday.
“Unloading work began from 8am and was completed at 5pm,” said Kong, who was at the presentation ceremony at Wharf 3, Westport in Port Klang.
He said the coaches were part of the 38 new sets for the KTM Komuter service which are being financed via allocations from the Federal Government under the sixth initiative of the National Key Results Area programme.
“Under this initiative, RM1.894bil has been spent to buy the 38 sets which will help improve the quality of the KTM Komuter service,” Kong said.
He said delivery of the sets would be in batches and completed by May next year.
“The coaches will undergo operational and security tests before they are deemed safe for use,” he said, adding that it would take one to two months to test each set.
“The sets will be sent to the depot in Batu Gajah Perak for tests. The first train is expected to start service by December.”
Kong said his ministry was optimistic that with the new trains, the schedule of train arrivals could be shortened from 30 minutes to just 10 minutes and the target to increase capacity from 95,000 commuters to between 150,000 and 200,000 would be achieved.
