SEPANG: The aerotrain service at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is anticipated to resume operations by the second quarter of 2025, according to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) managing director, Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani.
The trains are currently undergoing extensive testing. These tests must receive approval from the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and the Ministry of Transport before the aerotrain can return to full service, he said.
Mohd Izani guarantees that the resumption of the KLIA aerotrain will not be delayed beyond June 2025 and the project cost remain at RM456 million.
The aerotrain replacement project has encountered several delays, with its original operational deadline set for Jan 31 this year.
Initially, the three-year project had two key deadlines: July 2024 for the first aerotrain to become operational, followed by full completion in March 2025, which would see both aerotrain services, covering a 1.5 km distance, become fully functional.
Since March 2023, the KLIA aerotrain has been suspended after a major malfunction, forcing passengers to walk partway along the track in the rain.
In response to the delays, in Aug 2023, MAHB terminated Pestech International Bhd from the project due to "non-performance" and the risk of further delays.
In Jan 2024, MAHB reached a new agreement with a consortium of Alstom, Pestech, and IJM Corporation Bhd to resume the project, now targeting completion by March 31, 2025.
To fast-track the process, MAHB signed a new agreement with Alstom on June 14, 2024, aiming for a completion date of Jan 31 2025.
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