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The future belongs to rail travel
By DEEPAK GILL
PICTURES BY BRIAN MOH, DARRAN TAN & REUTERS
Trains used to be the way to travel long-distance. That is, until roads began to improve, private vehicles became the norm and flying got cheaper. The Malayan Railway or Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM) still gets nearly four million passengers a year, but it’s a long way off from its glory days.
Its biggest challenge came in 1994 when the North South Expressway became fully operational. It cut travelling time for vehicles by about half, sending many travellers to express bus stations and car dealers. From more than eight million passenger trips in 1991, the Intercity service now gets only about 3.7 million (2004).
KTM’s Azman Ahmad Shaharbi knows all about the current drawbacks of long-distance rail travel, but is optimistic that the future belongs to rail.
“We are looking at the return of the golden age of the railways with the right investment,” says the general manager of Intercity Services.
“The corporation is charting a rebound. We hit rock bottom in 2003 with 3.3 million passenger trips; we’re confident of getting 3.9 million passengers this year.”
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In the quest to stay current, KTM will undergo many upgrades in the next five years.
Azman admits that the rail system has not kept up with the country’s rapid development in the last 20 years. That couldn’t be helped. In the railway industry, upgrading works carry huge price tags, and KTM has to rely on the government for big decisions and funding.
Currently, Intercity has a budget for several ongoing upgrades. However, they need to build new tracks and acquire new trains. Fortunately, things are already moving in that direction.
Need for speed
High-speed rail (where trains cruise between 150kph and 480kph) is common in some developed countries but not here. KTM now plans to introduce it along existing routes, beginning with the 174km stretch between Rawang (Selangor) and Ipoh (Perak).
“The next new Intercity service will be the non-stop KL-Ipoh (route) – under two hours,” Azman reveals. Scheduled to be operational in two years, the service will run every two hours and hit 160kph. This sort of travel time will attract many passengers, including business travellers.
Trains are efficient and an obvious alternative to congested highways and airports. High-speed rail competes not just with private vehicles but with the airlines as well. Taking a flight requires travelling to and from the airport as well as having to arrive an hour before the flight. There are also possibilities of delay, overbooking and flight cancellation.
High-speed rail, though, usually takes one quickly and directly from one city centre to another. If you include environmental and land issues, high-speed rail is the smartest alternative. However, double-tracking for the rest of Intercity’s routes around the country has been deferred indefinitely by the government.
The current fares are pretty affordable. In most countries, rail fare is substantially higher than those of express buses – up to 50% more. However, second-class travel per kilometre with KTM works out the same as with buses: 6.5 sen/km, while their economy seats work out to 3.7 sen/km. If you’re on vacation and in no particular hurry, you could say this is a value-for-money way to travel.
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Azman Ahmad Shaharbi
The journey time from KL to Johor Baru is currently five hours and 15 minutes on the day train. The overnight, which has the option of sleeper bunks, is slower but saves time since you travel during your sleep time and arrive in the morning.
“You have to sleep anyway, so rather than doing it at home, you can do it while travelling,” reasons Azman. “Also, we have real beds with a pillow and blanket, not seats that recline until it’s flat.
“The main reason for delays of Intercity services is operational constraint – having a single track. When one train is delayed, it sets off a chain reaction that leads to other trains waiting for it,” Azman points out. Because of this, KTM is not yet able run more services nor reduce journey time.
Intercity’s occupancy currently averages 65%, dropping drastically during weekdays, peaking during school breaks. Since the railway company is not allowed to reduce or stop any services without the Ministry of Transportation’s consent, it cannot drop unprofitable routes.
Azman says he is concerned that the East Coast Highway, when fully completed in 2008, will take away many passengers.
“Currently our East Coast operations are quite good. However, to upgrade that stretch takes a lot of investment. We’re talking billions,” he says.
Azman says low airfares on carrier AirAsia has also had an impact on rail travel, but not much. “You have to take into account the cost of getting to and from the airports, which adds up.”
Its services
KTM’s Intercity currently runs 12 express services a day, 10 local services (mostly within the east coast) and two shuttle services from JB to Singapore. There are several discount cards to encourage travel: one for senior citizens and two for students, which give reductions of up to 50%. The Student Privilege Card is issued to anyone who is studying, irrespective of age.
Azman feels that rising toll and fuel prices are a definite advantage for the railway, as travelling by highway becomes more costly, not to mention slower because of the congestion.
“Travelling by train is enjoyable, relaxing and, more importantly, it’s safe. The last accidental death on a train was 13 years ago. Our emphasis on safety is something we’re proud of.”
Travelling in a bus, he adds, is cramped while the seats in a train are more spacious. You can move about, have meals or drinks, and use the toilet. You have the option of seats or beds, first-, second- or economy classes, coach or private cabin. First-class passengers can either stroll to the buffet coach or have the food sent to them.
Intercity’s first-class (deluxe) cabins have a TV, two bunks and an attached toilet with hot shower. Azman comments that KTM’s room-on-wheels “is the only ‘hotel’ where you can check-in in KL and check-out in Singapore.”
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Although KTM now has the modern KL Sentral, it still languishes in the past in some areas.
About 200 coaches will soon be refurbished at a cost of RM100,000 per unit. Ten new coaches will arrive at the end May.
“In the next five years, we will upgrade about 20 of our main railway stations: lengthening and raising platforms and shelters, renovating toilets, waiting area and ticket counters,” says Azman. In addition, 40 new air-conditioned coaches of various types including night sleepers and day-seaters are scheduled for use in 2006/2007.
KTM is also concerned about all-round comfort. KL Sentral, for instance, offers shower facilities and changing rooms, where towels and toiletries are available upon request. KTM is also working hard to improve the taxi services at Sentral.
“We aim to provide door-to-door service to our customers,” says Azman. “Improving frontline and customer services is very important to us.”
However, KTM needs to do a lot more for disabled travellers. Most stations lack even basic facilities like ramps. Also, the Sentral management needs to reassess their parking rates. A stop of slightly over two hours costs RM7.40, which is exorbitant!
There are now first-class lounges at KL Sentral and KTM Singapore stations for premier passengers.
“The e-ticket system on its website www.ktmb.com.my has the convenience for you to complete purchases and print your own e-ticket,” says Azman, but only 1% of customers currently use it, mostly tourists. KTM also has package rail holidays across Malaysia.
The train schedules are amended every six months. The passenger coaches are sent to KL Sentral’s maintenance depot after every trip for cleaning. Pest control is done once a week, major fumigation every six months, after which the coach is not usable for four days.
Maintenance is a major cost for a railway operator. For 2004, KTMB incurred a net loss of RM87.61mil, an improvement over 2003 when the figure was RM131.23mil.
The number one complaint that KTM receives from its customers is on punctuality. “At the moment, our arrival punctuality is 60%; we are aiming for 80%.”
Azman adds that the primary target now is to reduce journey time, which should unleash the potential of rail travel in Malaysia. Combine comfort and convenience with speed, and you have a winner. W
By DEEPAK GILL
PICTURES BY BRIAN MOH, DARRAN TAN & REUTERS
Trains used to be the way to travel long-distance. That is, until roads began to improve, private vehicles became the norm and flying got cheaper. The Malayan Railway or Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM) still gets nearly four million passengers a year, but it’s a long way off from its glory days.
Its biggest challenge came in 1994 when the North South Expressway became fully operational. It cut travelling time for vehicles by about half, sending many travellers to express bus stations and car dealers. From more than eight million passenger trips in 1991, the Intercity service now gets only about 3.7 million (2004).
KTM’s Azman Ahmad Shaharbi knows all about the current drawbacks of long-distance rail travel, but is optimistic that the future belongs to rail.
“We are looking at the return of the golden age of the railways with the right investment,” says the general manager of Intercity Services.
“The corporation is charting a rebound. We hit rock bottom in 2003 with 3.3 million passenger trips; we’re confident of getting 3.9 million passengers this year.”
In the quest to stay current, KTM will undergo many upgrades in the next five years.
Azman admits that the rail system has not kept up with the country’s rapid development in the last 20 years. That couldn’t be helped. In the railway industry, upgrading works carry huge price tags, and KTM has to rely on the government for big decisions and funding.
Currently, Intercity has a budget for several ongoing upgrades. However, they need to build new tracks and acquire new trains. Fortunately, things are already moving in that direction.
Need for speed
High-speed rail (where trains cruise between 150kph and 480kph) is common in some developed countries but not here. KTM now plans to introduce it along existing routes, beginning with the 174km stretch between Rawang (Selangor) and Ipoh (Perak).
“The next new Intercity service will be the non-stop KL-Ipoh (route) – under two hours,” Azman reveals. Scheduled to be operational in two years, the service will run every two hours and hit 160kph. This sort of travel time will attract many passengers, including business travellers.
Trains are efficient and an obvious alternative to congested highways and airports. High-speed rail competes not just with private vehicles but with the airlines as well. Taking a flight requires travelling to and from the airport as well as having to arrive an hour before the flight. There are also possibilities of delay, overbooking and flight cancellation.
High-speed rail, though, usually takes one quickly and directly from one city centre to another. If you include environmental and land issues, high-speed rail is the smartest alternative. However, double-tracking for the rest of Intercity’s routes around the country has been deferred indefinitely by the government.
The current fares are pretty affordable. In most countries, rail fare is substantially higher than those of express buses – up to 50% more. However, second-class travel per kilometre with KTM works out the same as with buses: 6.5 sen/km, while their economy seats work out to 3.7 sen/km. If you’re on vacation and in no particular hurry, you could say this is a value-for-money way to travel.
Azman Ahmad Shaharbi
The journey time from KL to Johor Baru is currently five hours and 15 minutes on the day train. The overnight, which has the option of sleeper bunks, is slower but saves time since you travel during your sleep time and arrive in the morning.
“You have to sleep anyway, so rather than doing it at home, you can do it while travelling,” reasons Azman. “Also, we have real beds with a pillow and blanket, not seats that recline until it’s flat.
“The main reason for delays of Intercity services is operational constraint – having a single track. When one train is delayed, it sets off a chain reaction that leads to other trains waiting for it,” Azman points out. Because of this, KTM is not yet able run more services nor reduce journey time.
Intercity’s occupancy currently averages 65%, dropping drastically during weekdays, peaking during school breaks. Since the railway company is not allowed to reduce or stop any services without the Ministry of Transportation’s consent, it cannot drop unprofitable routes.
Azman says he is concerned that the East Coast Highway, when fully completed in 2008, will take away many passengers.
“Currently our East Coast operations are quite good. However, to upgrade that stretch takes a lot of investment. We’re talking billions,” he says.
Azman says low airfares on carrier AirAsia has also had an impact on rail travel, but not much. “You have to take into account the cost of getting to and from the airports, which adds up.”
Its services
KTM’s Intercity currently runs 12 express services a day, 10 local services (mostly within the east coast) and two shuttle services from JB to Singapore. There are several discount cards to encourage travel: one for senior citizens and two for students, which give reductions of up to 50%. The Student Privilege Card is issued to anyone who is studying, irrespective of age.
Azman feels that rising toll and fuel prices are a definite advantage for the railway, as travelling by highway becomes more costly, not to mention slower because of the congestion.
“Travelling by train is enjoyable, relaxing and, more importantly, it’s safe. The last accidental death on a train was 13 years ago. Our emphasis on safety is something we’re proud of.”
Travelling in a bus, he adds, is cramped while the seats in a train are more spacious. You can move about, have meals or drinks, and use the toilet. You have the option of seats or beds, first-, second- or economy classes, coach or private cabin. First-class passengers can either stroll to the buffet coach or have the food sent to them.
Intercity’s first-class (deluxe) cabins have a TV, two bunks and an attached toilet with hot shower. Azman comments that KTM’s room-on-wheels “is the only ‘hotel’ where you can check-in in KL and check-out in Singapore.”
Although KTM now has the modern KL Sentral, it still languishes in the past in some areas.
About 200 coaches will soon be refurbished at a cost of RM100,000 per unit. Ten new coaches will arrive at the end May.
“In the next five years, we will upgrade about 20 of our main railway stations: lengthening and raising platforms and shelters, renovating toilets, waiting area and ticket counters,” says Azman. In addition, 40 new air-conditioned coaches of various types including night sleepers and day-seaters are scheduled for use in 2006/2007.
KTM is also concerned about all-round comfort. KL Sentral, for instance, offers shower facilities and changing rooms, where towels and toiletries are available upon request. KTM is also working hard to improve the taxi services at Sentral.
“We aim to provide door-to-door service to our customers,” says Azman. “Improving frontline and customer services is very important to us.”
However, KTM needs to do a lot more for disabled travellers. Most stations lack even basic facilities like ramps. Also, the Sentral management needs to reassess their parking rates. A stop of slightly over two hours costs RM7.40, which is exorbitant!
There are now first-class lounges at KL Sentral and KTM Singapore stations for premier passengers.
“The e-ticket system on its website www.ktmb.com.my has the convenience for you to complete purchases and print your own e-ticket,” says Azman, but only 1% of customers currently use it, mostly tourists. KTM also has package rail holidays across Malaysia.
The train schedules are amended every six months. The passenger coaches are sent to KL Sentral’s maintenance depot after every trip for cleaning. Pest control is done once a week, major fumigation every six months, after which the coach is not usable for four days.
Maintenance is a major cost for a railway operator. For 2004, KTMB incurred a net loss of RM87.61mil, an improvement over 2003 when the figure was RM131.23mil.
The number one complaint that KTM receives from its customers is on punctuality. “At the moment, our arrival punctuality is 60%; we are aiming for 80%.”
Azman adds that the primary target now is to reduce journey time, which should unleash the potential of rail travel in Malaysia. Combine comfort and convenience with speed, and you have a winner. W
