By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Oct 1 — Malaysia will be able to expand its railways, and especially connectivity to the Klang Valley, by growing its rolling stock, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
He said this is part of the government’s strategy to make railways a financially viable venture.
Rafizi said railways, which are primarily operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB), are heavily subsidised by the government, and are facing efficiency issues due to low rolling stock or locomotives to ferry high volume of people and cargo across its network.
“People are often infuriated over our train services, saying that they are slow or inefficient. It is not because the trains are slow, but because we have low rolling stock.
“We are now looking to double our rolling stock, with the government having committed over RM10 billion to this effect.
“With this commitment, we are able to make railways a financially viable venture again rather than being heavily reliant on subsidies.
“Only then can we look towards building (more rail lines). There were already plans on a possible rail line connecting Klang to Seremban but this may take time,” he said at a dialogue session hosted by the Economy Ministry to gather public feedback on the 13th Malaysia Plan at the Shah Alam City Council Convention Centre here today.
[caption id="attachment_374377" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli leads a dialogue session to gather public feedback on the 13th Malaysia Plan, at the Shah Alam City Council Convention Centre, on October 1, 2024. — Picture by NUR ADIBAH AHMAD IZAM/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Last month, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia will sign a RM10.7 billion leasing agreement with China to acquire an additional 62 passenger trains for KTMB.
The sum will be paid in instalments over 30 years.
Loke said 90 per cent of the 68 current passenger trains operated by KTMB are manufactured by state-owned China Railway and Rolling Stock Corporations.
He also noted that while the government has invested billions of ringgit in rail services, utilisation is currently only at 30 per cent.
Similarly, the Selangor administration is conducting a feasibility study to build its own rail network, dubbed Kita Selangor Rail.
