Feature Urban Railways in Asia Rail Transportation in Kuala Lumpur Hilmi Mohamad be increased by 8.6 km when the KL network has 40 stations including the new Introduction Monorail is completed in August 2003. KL Sentral Station (Fig. 1). The electrification system consists of a 25-kVac Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital of catenary with six substations drawing Malaysia, has an area of 243 km2 with a KTM Komuter power from Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the population of 1.4 million and a total national power company. current employment of 838,000. It is the KTM Komuter started revenue services as The meter-gauge track with multiple centre of Malaysia’s economic activity the first electric rail service in Malaysia aspect signalling allows trains to run at with 12.4% of total GDP. KL is situated on 14 August 1995 between Kuala up to 120 km/h. KTM Komuter uses within a larger economic zone known as Lumpur and Rawang. The service was three-car electric multiple units (EMUs) the Klang Valley, spanning an area of later expanded to cover 153 route-km of from three different suppliers—Jenbacher 2843 km2. Vehicle ownership in electrified double track between Rawang Transportation System (18 sets), Marubeni Malaysia has passed 10 million vehicles and Seremban, and Sentul and Port Klang Corporation (22 sets) and Union Carriage with an estimated 2.5 million vehicles in (Pelabuhan Klang). The KTM Komuter and Wagons (22 sets). The EMUs have the Klang Valley alone. With the rapid vehicle growth rate of 8% per annum, the government realized that Figure 1 Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System uncontrolled urbanization and motorization would result in Terminal Putra (Gombak) P Rawang KTM Komuter B P environmental deterioration and more Taman Maluri PUTRA traffic trams and accidents. P Kuang Sentul Timur P Wangsa Maju To meet these challenges, the government Sri Rampai P Sg.Buloh STAR has embarked on major developments in P Sentul Sentul P Setiawangsa P land transport over the last 20 years. P Kepong Jelatek P Titiwangsa Dato Although construction of highways and Keramat P Ampang P Segambut Damai ring roads in and around the city has Kg Baru Ampang Park PWTC Chow Kit P Cahaya improved the traffic flow to some extent, Interchange station Putra KLCC Medan P Cempaka Sultan Tuanku the city centre is still plagued by morning Interchange station Ismail P Pandan Indah STAR and evening traffic jams. The urban bus within walking distance Dang Wangi Bukit Nenas Raja Chulan Pandan Jaya P Bandaraya transportation, which was based on P Car park Bank Bukit Bintang Maluri P Negara Imbi minibuses, has been revamped by Masjid Plaza Hang Chan Sow Miharja P Feeder bus Rakyat Tuah P Pudu Lin amalgamating bus operations into a few Jamek Kuala Lumpur Pasar Seni companies. The last 10 years have also Merdeka Cheras P KL Sentral KL MONORAIL seen development of new rail-based Tun Sultan Taman Bangsar Sambanthan Sulaiman Salak Selatan P Seputeh transport systems like KTM Komuter, the Kelana Jaya Paramount Taman Jaya Kerinchi P Salak Selatan STAR LRT, the PUTRA LRT, and the Taman Asia Jaya Universiti Abdullah Angkasapuri P Bandar Tun Razak P Bahagia Hukum Pantai Dalam P Express Rail Link (ERL) for the new KL Bandar Tasik Selatan P PUTRA Petaling P International Airport. Jalan Templer P P Sungai Besi Kg Dato Harun P Serdang P With the exception of KTM Komuter Seri Setia Bukit Jalil P P Sri Petaling P operated by Malaysian Railway (KTMB), Setia Jaya P Kajang P Subang Jaya P UKM P the other urban railway systems were KTM Komuter A Batu Tiga P STAR constructed according to a build-operate- Shah Alam P Bangi P Padang Jawa P P Batang Benar Putrajaya P transfer (BOT) formula where the private Bukit Badak P ERL P Nilai companies/consortiums signed concession Klang P Teluk Pulai P Salak Tinggi P P Labu agreements with the government to build Teluk Gadong P the railway systems and operate them for Kg Raja Uda P P Tiroi Jalan Kastam P KTM Komuter B some period. At the end of 2002, KTM Pelabuhan Klang P P Seremban Komuter, STAR, PUTRA and ERL had 266 km KL International Airport of railways in the Klang Valley. This will Copyright © 2003 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Japan Railway & Transport Review 35 • July 2003 21 Urban Railways in Asia the automatic train protection (ATP) time commuting to enjoy the advantages Go smart card that is also accepted by system, which monitors the train speed of larger houses. This trend is expected the STAR and PUTRA LRTs, buses and toll and applies the brakes automatically if to continue with more property highways. the driver fails to respond. This safety development occurring further from the Commuter services have affected feature permits one-man operation, city but closer to commuter lines. A property development around commuter which had never been used before in similar phenomena will probably occur stations. When commuter services first Malaysia. in the north when commuter services are started, most stations could only be KTM Komuter’s 215 daily services start extended to Tanjung Malim. accessed from one side. However, at 05:30 and stop at 24:00. Services run To cater for long-distance commuters, development of housing estates and at a headway of 15 minutes during the KTM Komuter operates two express commercial properties around stations morning rush from 05:30 to 09:30, and services in the morning from Seremban has required the opening of second this frequency is also maintained during to KL, and two express services from KL access points. The need for better access the evening peak from 15:30 to 20:00. back to Seremban in the evening. They and links with bus stops and other The service frequency is reduced to one make only three stops, reducing the transport modes like taxis has required train every 30 minutes at other times. journey time from 1 hour 15 minutes to construction of covered walkways, etc. To ensure efficient ticketing, KTM exactly 1 hour. Popular stations like Seremban, Kajang, Komuter uses an automatic fare To increase peak capacity, especially over Serdang and Sungai Buloh also need collection (AFC) system with ticket the section between Sentul and Port larger car parks. vending machines (TVMs), automatic Klang, two three-car sets are coupled Property development near commuter gates and magnetic-strip tickets. together to form a six-car set with only lines has created new markets. KTMB Although the AFC system has a closed- one driver. Three six-car services run identified a few locations such as Mid system design, KTM Komuter faces some during the morning and evening peak Valley, Sri Damansara and Seremban problems, especially where the railway hours. Two for construction of new stations to fences have been breached by villagers KTM Komuter caters for various travel meet increasing demand. The most for illegal crossing of tracks. To control requirements with various types of attractive site is at Mid Valley where fare evaders, KTM Komuter employs tickets. In addition to the normal single there is a mega-shopping complex as roving ticket inspectors to make spot and return tickets, regular users can buy well as a hotel, offices, and ticket checks. 12- and 24-trip tickets at 20% discount. condominiums. This new station is At present, KTM Komuter carries about Regular travellers using a monthly season expected to be completed in mid-2004. 64,000 passengers daily, 61% of whom ticket enjoy a 33% discount. To Currently, KTMB is constructing an are young people between 19 and 29. It encourage people to travel during off- electrified double track between is also carrying increasingly more white- peak times, the Tiket Mana-Mana pass Rawang and Ipoh. When completed in collar passengers than when it started. KL entitles the holder to unlimited travel 2005, services will run 55 km further Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, Subang Jaya, Bank anywhere on the network on any north to Tanjung Malim with five Negara, Serdang, Seremban, and Kajang weekday after 09:00. It costs just additional stations from Rawang. This stations have high ridership because they MYR6.00 (MYR1.00 = US$0.26). A project will also include rapid train are either in densely populated similar Tiket Kembara day pass for services with new train sets between KL residential areas or are situated close to weekends and public holidays costs Sentral and Ipoh. Another big project government offices or commercial MYR10.00. It is more expensive than the in the pipeline that should be buildings. KL Sentral is the biggest weekday pass because many people use completed in 2006 is the double- connecting station where passengers can KTM Komuter at weekends for leisure, tracking and electrification of a 7.2-km transfer between LRT, ERL and intercity shopping, visiting friends and returning extension from Sentul to Batu Caves, trains. to their hometowns. In line with the passing through new stations at Batu Although located 73 km from KL, government intention to create common Kentonmen, Kg. Batu and Taman Seremban Station collects high revenues ticketing, KTM Komuter will be installing Wahyu. The extension will serve a new because it serves many commuters. contactless Touch’n Go smart card Sentul Station that will be built for the Property in and around Seremban is readers in 2003, giving passengers the joint-venture Sentul Raya property cheaper than in KL and its suburb, so choice of using a normal KTM Komuter development on the site of a former some people are willing to spend more ticket or a prepaid contactless Touch’n railway central workshop. 22 Japan Railway & Transport Review 35 • July 2003 Copyright © 2003 EJRCF.