KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has received the first set of electric trains (ETS3) for the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electric Double Track service yesterday.
The ETS3 train were handed over by the contractor China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) at a presentation ceremony in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, China.
At the event, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he was happy that the ETS3 project was going well and hoped that the next set would be delivered and completed on time.
“When this rolling stock (is ready) by next year, we will start the ETS service from Kuala Lumpur Sentral to Johor Bahru when the Johor Bahru – Gemas track is ready later.
“Wait for this service to arrive and we will provide the latest service to Malaysians,“ he said through a video shared by MOT to the Malaysian media today.
Meanwhile, Loke in his speech at the ceremony said the new ETS3 train has a seating capacity of 312 seats, with 36 for business class and 276 standard seats.
“I have been informed that a total of eight trains will be assembled in Malaysia apart from the first two sets that will be shipped from Zhuzhou, China,“ he said.
Loke said the expected delivery date for all is set by Aug 12 next year, and ETS3 trains will be used for the Gemas-Johor Bahru newly electrified and double-tracked sections as well as the entire West Coast Rail Network from Padang Besar in the North to Johor Bahru in the South.
The new trains will enable transformations in travel behavior in Malaysia, he said.
He also described it as a game changer for millions of Malaysians, as journey time between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru will be greatly reduced and transport reliability and safety will also improve significantly.
“It is also worth mentioning that significant efforts have been made to ensure Malaysian local manufacturers have meaningful participation and benefits from the positive spillover by working with CRRC in Malaysia,“ he said.
The Gemas-Johor Bahru electrified double-tracking rail project includes 192 kilometres of track and 11 stops. It will travel through four major districts in Johor, including Segamat, Kluang, Kulai, and Johor Bahru, before concluding at JB Sentral.
Upon completion, the journey from KL Sentral in Brickfields to JB Sentral will take three hours and 30 minutes at a speed of 140 km per hour.
