KTMB’s Electric Train Service saw a 72% passenger surge during CNY, with punctuality improving to 86% due to new trains and added services.

KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad recorded a 72% surge in passengers for its Electric Train Service during the recent Chinese New Year festive period.

From February 13 to 22, the ETS carried 227,512 passengers compared to 132,636 during the same period last year.

KTMB said the increase reflected growing passenger confidence in the ETS as a primary travel mode for festive seasons.

“The increase was driven by higher travel demand during the festive season, as well as users’ preference for ETS as a smoother alternative to avoid road traffic congestion,” the company stated.

KTMB Group chief executive officer Azlan Shah Al Bakri also reported an improvement in service punctuality.

The ETS service’s punctuality rate improved to 86% this year, up from 80% recorded last year.

“In ensuring stable and consistent operations, KTMB continues to strengthen safety monitoring and mitigation measures,” Azlan Shah said.

He highlighted ongoing efforts to address challenges like trespassing, cable theft, and signalling system disruptions.

To meet the high festive demand, KTMB provided 60 ETS train services, its highest offering ever.

This capacity increase was enabled by the full delivery of 10 new ETS3 train sets.

The new trains allowed KTMB to optimise services so more Malaysians could travel home comfortably and on time.

KTMB also introduced four additional EMU Plus train services for the KL Sentral–Ipoh route this festive season.

These special services were added to facilitate smoother passenger movement for holiday travel.

 The Sun Malaysia