ETS3 Johor Bahru-KL Sentral To Commence Operation This Dec 12 - Loke

KLUANG, Nov 22 (Bernama) – Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) Electric Train Service 3 (ETS3) for the KL Sentral–Johor Bahru route is expected to commence operations this Dec 12, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said the service's inauguration ceremony is scheduled on Dec 11 and 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 compared to 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 2025 Kluang Rail Festival at Laman Rel Mahkota here today.

The ETS3 route from Kuala Lumpur to Kluang was launched last August.

During that launch, Sultan Ibrahim consented to personally drive the ETS3 train, which can operate at speeds of up to 140 km/h, 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 currently 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.

Last Thursday, Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh urged the federal government to expedite the ART Project, ideally by early next year.

He 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.

-- BERNAMA