KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) Bhd is offering 50 and 25 per cent discounts for its Electric Train Service (ETS) commuters.
“The promotion, which ends on Dec 31, is aimed at encouraging more people to use ETS. We may extend the promotion period if there is a good response from the public.
“We are also in the midst of upgrading ETS services and will roll out a more interesting concept next year,” said KTM chief executive officer Mohd Rani Hisham.
The 50 per cent discount is applicable to KL Sentral – Gemas – KL Sentral; and Sungai Petani – Padang Besar – Sungai Petani ETS routes between Monday and Thursday.
Meanwhile, the 25 per cent discount is applicable to all ETS routes for journeys on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The promotional tickets are available only at KTMB counters.
ETS is an intercity express train service introduced on Aug 12, 2016, with 16 services daily between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.
It has daily average ridership of 1,500 passengers.
On a separate matter, Mohd Rani said for the first time in 26 years, KTMB Terminal Padang Besar, had managed to handle 13,058 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of cargo volume in October.
He said it was the highest monthly figure ever recorded, mainly contributed by continuous improvement and close monitoring in cargo operation by KTM Kargo and its subsidiary MMF Sdn Bhd. Penang Port, which provided better options to South Thailand to export their goods, has in return benefited KTM Kargo that provided rail links for the movement from South Thailand through Padang Besar Terminal.
“The rising cargo volumes at the terminal now has helped overall Malaysia’s ports as well. This is a proof that port and the rail services are vital components in the Logistics Industry.
“With a record of 13,058 TEUs handled, it was 31 per cent relatively higher than the average 10,000 TEUs monthly volume this year.
“The volume is expected to increase after completion of the Padang Besar Terminal upgrading project in March 2019.”
KTM Kargo runs 37 cargo trains daily of which about 80 per centwere concentrated in the Northern Sector.
In line with the strategy to focus on containerised and long haul cargoes, KTM Kargo now carries shipping containers, cement, sugar and fertilisers as main commodities with the capacity to carry 1,000 TEUs daily.
KTM Kargo has embarked on long haul cargo train operations in 2015, that are more efficient, economical and safer cargo service by using single high-powered locomotive pulling up to 50 wagons per trip for laden, empty containers and bulk cargo, respectively.
This provide an alternative to enable greater cross border cargo movements from Malaysia to Thailand and minimising the hassle of customs cross border in terms of administration and procedural measures.