New trains to increase total capacity by fifty percent

Sepang, 20th October 2016 – Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) unveiled its new KLIA Transit train today at its depot in Salak Tinggi. The new train, manufactured by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Company Limited (CRRC Changchun) is the first of six train-sets delivered. When complete, they will increase ERL’s total capacity by fifty percent when they start operating from March 2017.

The unveiling of the train was officiated by the Minister of Transport, YB Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai. Also present were Deputy Minister of Transport, YB Datuk Aziz Kaprawi, Executive Chairman of ERL, Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh and Vice President, High Speed and Main Line of CRRC Changchun, Mr Lou Yanjun.

Dato’ Sri Liow in his speech said, “The purchase of these new train-sets by ERL is indirectly a reflection of the Government’s overall strategic plan to transform public transportation in Malaysia. Under the Urban Public Transport National Key Results Area (NKRA), the Government is undertaking several wide-ranging initiatives to increase the public transport modal share in urban areas to forty per cent by 2030. These initiatives are multifaceted, including upgrading of existing infrastructure and provision of new services to address the needs of Malaysia’s growing population.”

When all the current and new rail projects in the country are complete, the travelling public will have easy and fast access to all parts of the city, Greater KL and the airport. The increased capacity and connectivity with the other rail systems will encourage modal shift from private vehicles, thus reducing congestion and improving public satisfaction and quality of life.

Dato’ Sri Liow also said that ERL is a good example of the public-private partnership which plays an important role in contributing to Malaysia’s economic development. He urged Government agencies such as the Ministries of Transport and Finance, SPAD, UKAS and the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department to continue to enable private enterprises such as ERL to match the nation’s growing technical expertise to the increasingly sophisticated needs of the people.

During the unveiling ceremony, Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi in his speech said, “As driving cars in Klang Valley has become an increasingly costlier way to commute, we expect more and more people will opt for public transport services to get them to work every day, and to the airport when they need to catch a flight. The train service also fulfils the need for an efficient transportation system for those living and working in townships along the ERL corridor.”

“The quality of the new train-sets provides longer maintenance intervals with overhaul cycles extended by thirty per cent. This will translate to more capacity, less downtime and savings in the operating expenditure. With shorter isolation times and greater self-reliance, there will be reduced rescue requirement during service disruptions.

The capacity increase also means reducing congestion, especially during peak hours for both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services, giving passengers a much more comfortable and enjoyable ride. The new train will also offer fifteen per cent more air-conditioning capacity, added handrails and better legroom for facing seats,” added Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi.

Meanwhile, Mr Lou Yanjun in his speech said, “When the agreement between ERL and CRRC Changchun was inked back in 2014, we were fully aware of the significance of this project. For this project, we used only the best – our best project team members, implemented the most up-to-date design and procured components only from first rated suppliers to ensure the design; manufacture and testing of the Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) comply with the most stringent quality standards.”

ERL purchased six new trains from CRRC Changchun; two assigned to KLIA Ekspres and four to KLIA Transit. The six train-sets will increase the frequency of the train operations and enhance service availability as well as cater to the growth in ridership for the next ten years.

The new train-sets are being delivered in phases and will begin operating in March 2017 after undergoing extensive testing and commissioning. Each new train-set has a better redundancy system with two compressors instead of one; more powerful traction; and additional sensors to increase safety standards.