KLUANG, Nov 22 — The KL Sentral-Johor Bahru Electric Train Service 3 (ETS3) is expected to commence operations on December 12, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
He said the launch ceremony has been scheduled for December 11 and that the ministry has sought the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, to officiate the launch in Johor Bahru.
He said the initial focus of ETS3 will be the Johor Bahru-Kuala Lumpur route to allow higher train frequencies instead of longer routes.
“If the distance is too long, such as routes to the north, we can only operate two trips a day, one up, one down, but for a shorter journey like Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur, the service can run more frequently,” he told a press conference after opening the Kluang Rail Festival at Laman Rel Mahkota here today.
The ETS3 route from Kuala Lumpur to Kluang was launched last August.
During the launch, Sultan Ibrahim consented to personally drive the ETS3 train, which can operate at speeds of up to 140kph, from KL Sentral to Kluang Station.
On the status of the Automated Transit Flow System (ART) Project, Loke said development is ongoing and has not been delayed.
He said the project is at the request-for-proposal (RFP) evaluation stage and is being refined by the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) after several proposals did not meet the required standards.
“Of course, the ministry will work with UKAS to expedite the awarding process for the project,” he added.
On Thursday, Johor state executive councillor for public works, transport, infrastructure and communications Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh urged the federal government to expedite the ART Project, ideally by early next year.
Fazli said the project is crucial to support public transport and streamline traffic flow ahead of the full operation of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Project in 2027.
