ERL Unveils New KLIA Ekspres Train with Songket Livery

Additional KLIA Transit Services and Free Joyride for Families Announced

Sepang, 13th March 2018 – Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL), the operator of KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services, unveils its new KLIA Ekspres train with an exciting new livery based on Songket motifs at KLIA today. After the unveiling, Minister of Transport, YB Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai drives the new train on a ride from KLIA to Salak Tinggi Station.

At the same event, Dato’ Sri Liow announces an increase in frequency on KLIA Transit during peak hours, effective 14th March 2018. He also announces a special joyride for families with young children to kick start the school holiday this weekend.

ERL bought six new trains from Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd (CRRC Changchun) of China back in 2014 to accommodate the strong demand and improve passenger comfort. All six trains have now been delivered to ERL. The commissioning and testing process has been completed for one KLIA Ekspres train and two KLIA Transit trains. The latest train livery blends traditional songket motifs – Pucuk Rebung, Tapak Sulaiman and Bunga Pecah Lapan, with a vibrant colour splash, producing a unique contemporary design that represents the innovative spirit of the company.

All the new trains have enhanced features which solidify ERL’s strong reputation in safety, reliability, and overall comfort. In his speech, Dato’ Sri Liow said, “The additional new trains bought by ERL offers a better value proposition which is important to attract more people to use public transportation. It also complements the Government’s commitment to improving land public transport infrastructure, quality of service, and first-and-last mile connectivity.”

Also present at the event and joining Dato’ Sri Liow on the train ride were Executive Chairman of ERL, Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh; CRRC Changchun President, Mr An Zhongyi and Chief Development Officer of Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD), Dr. Prodyut Dutt. Before the ride, ERL received a symbolic commissioning certificate from SPAD for the first three train sets.

Meanwhile, Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi in his speech said, “The six new trains will increase ERL’s total capacity by fifty per cent and allow ERL to offer a more efficient service and cater to our growing ridership, which has increased notably since the opening of KLIA2 in 2014. The additional new trains also mean less scheduled downtime for maintenance which translates to less interference in daily schedules and routines, and provides more comfort and reliability.”

The additional services on KLIA Transit during peak hours will significantly benefit commuters and air travellers alike. Train departures will be improved to every 15 minutes during morning and evening peak hours on weekdays (from 6am to 9am, and from 4pm to 7pm) from the current 20-minute intervals, putting it on par with the KLIA Ekspres service.

Fast Facts on New Trains Purchased from CRRC Changchun:

1. Total 6 train sets – 2 allocated for KLIA Ekspres, 4 for KLIA Transit
2. Each train set has 4 cars which will operate at a cruising speed of 160km/h.
3. The new KLIA Ekspres train has 192 seats onboard, while the Transit train can comfortably accommodate up to 350 passengers (including 144 passengers seated).
4. All six trains have been delivered to ERL (the last train delivered in mid-February 2018).

Improved Features of the New Trains:

Train design is similar to the existing Siemens fleet and has the same or upgraded features. Improvements include:

1. more seats onboard KLIA Ekspres trains
2. handrails in KLIA Transit trains
3. longer seat pitch and higher ceiling in all trains
4. 15% more air-conditioning capacity in all trains
5. better CCTV surveillance in all trains.

From the technical perspective,

1. the new trains will have better redundancy capacity with 2 compressors instead of one
2. more powerful traction which means delays will be reduced during traction related failures
3. additional sensors to avoid impact from errors, and
4. 30% longer overhaul cycle.

The songket livery was exclusively designed for KLIA Ekspres by Mohd Fairis Salleh and Shuhairul Hafizie Shuib.