KTM ETS
The KTM ETS, commercially known as ETS which stands for "Electric Train Service", is an inter-city rail service operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad utilizing electric multiple units. The KTM ETS is the second electric train service to be operated by the Malaysian railway company, after the KTM Komuter service.
It is the fastest metre gauge train service in Malaysia that currently operates along the electrified and double-tracked stretch of the West Coast Line between Gemas and Padang Besar on the Malaysia-Thai border by the Malaysian national railway operator, Keretapi Tanah Melayu.
The trains travel up to 160 km/h (99 mph) on electrified metre gauge rail line which can be considered as higher speed rail (HrSR) based on passenger rail terminology instead of high speed rail (HSR). The speed is similar to that of the Kamome Express and Sonic Express in Japan, the Taroko Express and Puyuma Express in Taiwan, and the Tilt Train service in Australia.
However these services use the 1,067mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge. In view of this, there is high possibility KTM ETS service is the only one inter-city rail line recorded in the world using 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge at maximum speed of 160 km/h.
The rail service is currently operated by KTM Intercity Division. It was previously operated by ETS Sendirian Berhad, a fully owned subsidiary of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad.
Background
It was introduced by Keretapi Tanah Melayu on 12 August 2010 following the completion of the electrification and double-tracking of the Rawang to Ipoh stretch of the West Coast Line of Peninsular Malaysia. The service was the progressively extended to other sections of the West Coast Line when subsequent electrification and double-tracking works were completed.
Train services
Launched in August 2010, the service originally operated between Ipoh and Seremban but the KL Sentral-Seremban sector was taken out of service in October 2012.[2]
The service was extended from Ipoh to Padang Besar via Butterworth, the mainland town opposite Penang, with the introduction of the ETS Transit on 10 July 2015, with stops at 24 stations. At the inception of service, only one train service in both directions were introduced. On the following day on 11 July 2015, the ETS Express between KL Sentral and Padang Besar, via Butterworth was introduced, with stops at 15 stations. Again, only one service for both directions were introduced.[3]
Subsequently on 1 September 2015, an addition service between KL Sentral and Butterworth was introduced,[4] and on 10 October 2015, this service was extended southwards from KL Sentral to Gemas, together with the introduction of a new service between Padang Besar and Gemas.[5] The extension of the KTM ETS service to Gemas utilizes the electrified double-track between Seremban and Gemas which was completed in 2014.
Also on 10 October 2015, a new service was launched between Butterworth and Padang Besar in addition to existing services.
With the introduction of these new trains, the following train service numbering system has been adopted for the KTM ETS:
- EG92xx for services between Gemas and Padang Besar except for services between KL Sentral and Ipoh, and between Ipoh and Padang Besar
- EG93xx for ETS Gold services between KL Sentral and Ipoh
- EG94xx for ETS Silver services between KL Sentral and Ipoh
- EG95xx for services between Ipoh and Padang Besar
KL Sentral - Ipoh
The KL Sentral-Ipoh ETS service was the first to be launched in August 2010 with the completion of the Rawang-Ipoh Electrification and Double-Tracking Project. The service initially included the sector between KL Sentral and Seremban but was discontinued in October 2012.
Trains operating on this section are currently classed as either ETS Gold with service numbers EG93xx, or ETS Silver with service numbers EG94xx. ETS Gold trains take 2 hours and 20 minutes between KL Sentral and Ipoh, stopping at 10 stations (not including starting station), while ETS Silver trains take 2 hours 30 minutes with stops at 14 stations (again, not including starting station).
Currently, there are 5 ETS Gold and 2 ETS Silver services for each direction.[6]
| Railway Station | Gold Service | Silver Service | Gold Service | Silver Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EG9302 | EG9304 | EG9402 | EG9306 | EG9308 | EG9310 | EG9404 | |
| KL Sentral | 0700 | 0900 | 1230 | 1430 | 1745 | 1900 | 2100 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 0705 | 0905 | 1235 | 1435 | 1750 | 1905 | 2105 |
| Kepong Sentral | 0717 | 0917 | 1249 | 1447 | 1802 | 1917 | 2119 |
| Sungai Buloh | - | - | 1257 | - | - | - | 2127 |
| Rawang | 0738 | 0938 | 1312 | 1508 | 1823 | 1938 | 2142 |
| Batang Kali | - | - | 1328 | - | - | - | 2158 |
| Kuala Kubu Bharu | - | - | 1331 | - | - | - | 2201 |
| Tanjung Malim | 0809 | 1009 | 1344 | 1539 | 1854 | 2009 | 2214 |
| Behrang | - | - | 1352 | - | - | - | 2222 |
| Slim River | 0824 | 1024 | 1359 | 1554 | 1909 | 2024 | 2219 |
| Sungkai | 0838 | 1038 | 1414 | 1608 | 1923 | 2038 | 2244 |
| Tapah Road | 0850 | 1050 | 1428 | 1620 | 1935 | 2050 | 2258 |
| Kampar | 0859 | 1059 | 1440 | 1629 | 1944 | 2059 | 2310 |
| Batu Gajah | 0910 | 1110 | 1450 | 1640 | 1955 | 2110 | 2320 |
| Ipoh | 0920 | 1120 | 1500 | 1650 | 2005 | 2120 | 2330 |
| Railway Station | Gold Service | Silver Service | Gold Service | Silver Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EG9301 | EG9303 | EG9401 | EG9305 | EG9307 | EG9309 | EG9403 | |
| Ipoh | 0500 | 0900 | 1100 | 1400 | 1600 | 1800 | 2100 |
| Batu Gajah | 0511 | 0911 | 1111 | 1411 | 1611 | 1811 | 2111 |
| Kampar | 0521 | 0921 | 1121 | 1421 | 1621 | 1821 | 2121 |
| Tapah Road | 0533 | 0933 | 1133 | 1433 | 1633 | 1833 | 2133 |
| Sungkai | 0547 | 0947 | 1147 | 1447 | 1647 | 1847 | 2147 |
| Slim River | 0602 | 1002 | 1202 | 1502 | 1702 | 1902 | 2202 |
| Behrang | - | - | 1209 | - | - | - | 2209 |
| Tanjung Malim | 0616 | 1016 | 1217 | 1516 | 1716 | 1916 | 2217 |
| Kuala Kubu Bharu | - | - | 1230 | - | - | - | 2230 |
| Batang Kali | - | - | 1236 | - | - | - | 2236 |
| Rawang | 0645 | 1045 | 1249 | 1545 | 1745 | 1945 | 2249 |
| Sungai Buloh | - | - | 1304 | - | - | - | 2304 |
| Kepong Sentral | 0704 | 1104 | 1312 | 1604 | 1804 | 2004 | 2312 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 0716 | 1116 | 1326 | 1616 | 1816 | 2016 | 2326 |
| KL Sentral | 0720 | 1120 | 1330 | 1620 | 1820 | 2020 | 2330 |
Prior to October 2012, ETS Gold trains did not stop at Tapah Road and Sungkai, taking 2 hours 15 minutes. As of 2014, the Gold service stopped at the two stations but no longer stopped at the Sungai Buloh railway station, Kuala Kubu Bharu railway station and Behrang railway station. A platinum service was also in operation which travelled non-stop from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh in 1 hour 58 minutes, but was removed with the new timetable rescheduling.
The EG92xx services which run between Gemas and Padang Besar also covers stations between KL Sentral and Ipoh with limited stops. The fastest service between KL Sentral and Ipoh is the EG9213/EG9214 ETS platinum service which takes about 2 hours journey with a stop at nearby Kuala Lumpur station.
Ipoh - Butterworth - Padang Besar
The service between Ipoh and Padang Besar via Butterworth was the second KTM ETS service to be launched by Keretapi Tanah Melayu. It began operating on 10 July 2015, one day before the service between KL Sentral and Padang Besar.[7] The service was originally branded as the ETS Transit.
Train on the Ipoh-Butterworth-Padang Besar sector have numbers EG95xx.
At the time of launch, only one ETS Transit was available for each direction between Ipoh and Padang Besar, with service provided by one train set. On 10 October 2015, an additional service between Butterworth and Padang Besar began operating.
When launched on 10 July 2015, the one-way journey took between 4 hours 15 minutes and 4 hours 50 minutes with stops at all 23 stations between Ipoh and Padang Besar, including twice at Bukit Mertajam and Bukit Tengah on the Bukit Mertajam-Butterworth branch line. However, a new schedule on 1 September 2015 saw the Simpang Ampat and Bukit Tengah stations being skipped.
On 1 January 2016, the service between Butterworth and Padang Besar (EG 9501 and EG 9502) were scrapped with the introduction of the KTM Komuter Northern Sector run along this section.[8] The remaining Ipoh-Padang Besar service (EG 9500 and 9603) were also reduced to running between Mondays and Thursdays.
| Train direction | Ipoh - Padang Besar | Padang Besar - Ipoh |
|---|---|---|
| Train No | EG 9500 | EG 9503 |
| Ipoh | 0530 | 2055 |
| Tasek | 0537 | 2048 |
| Sungai Siput | 0548 | 2037 |
| Kuala Kangsar | 0559 | 2026 |
| Padang Rengas | 0606 | 2019 |
| Taiping | 0620 | 2005 |
| Kamunting | 0625 | 2000 |
| Bagan Serai | 0642 | 1943 |
| Parit Buntar | 0649 | 1936 |
| Nibong Tebal | 0653 | 1932 |
| Bukit Mertajam | 0707 | 1918 |
| Butterworth | 0728 | 1908 |
| Bukit Mertajam | 0737 | 1848 |
| Tasek Gelugor | 0748 | 1837 |
| Sungai Petani | 0757 | 1828 |
| Gurun | 0808 | 1817 |
| Kobah | 0817 | 1808 |
| Alor Setar | 0830 | 1755 |
| Anak Bukit | 0835 | 1750 |
| Kodiang | 0847 | 1738 |
| Arau | 0853 | 1733 |
| Bukit Ketri | 0859 | 1727 |
| Padang Besar | 0910 | 1715 |
Gemas - KL Sentral - Ipoh - Butterworth - Padang Besar
The third phase of the KTM ETS began operating between KL Sentral and Padang Besar when it was launched on 11 July 2015, one day after the Ipoh-Padang Besar service.[9]
When launched, it was called the ETS Ekspres service, and only one trip a day was put on due to the limied availability of rolling stock. The one-way journey took between 5 hours 15 minutes and 5 hours 30 minutes with stopped at 14 stations, including twice at Bukit Mertajam due to the station being on the Bukit Mertajam-Butterworth branch line.
On 1 September 2015, an additional service for each direction between KL Sentral and Butterworth was launched. This service made more stops between KL Sentral and Ipoh, and one additional stop at Kamunting between Ipoh and Butterworth, compared to the earlier KL Sentral-Padang Besar service.[10]
The fourth phase of expansion for the KTM ETS took place on 10 October 2015 when the service was extended southwards from KL Sentral to Gemas. This saw the KTM ETS service returning to Seremban after being discontinued in 2012.
The Gemas-Padang Besar run skips the Bukit Mertajam-Butterworth branch completely, and proceeds straight from Nibong Tebal to Sungai Petani (and vice-versa) via the third side of the triangular Bukit Mertajam Junction, which was constructed as part the Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrification and Double-Tracking Project.
Besides the new Gemas-Padang Besar service, the previous timetable was also revamped and on the same day, the KL Sentral-Butterworth (EG9205/EG9206) service was extended southwards to Gemas and given new service numbers.
ETS trains operating between Gemas and Padang Besar bear train service numbers EG92xx.
| Train direction | North-bound | South-bound | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train No | EG9208 | EG9204 | EG9210 | EG9211 | EG9203 | EG9209 |
| Padang Besar | 1510 | 2105 | 0745 | 1615 | ||
| Arau | 1454 | 2047 | 0801 | 1631 | ||
| Anak Bukit | 1439 | 2032 | 0814 | 1643 | ||
| Alor Setar | 1435 | 2028 | 0819 | 1648 | ||
| Sungai Petani | 1409 | 2001 | 0845 | 1714 | ||
| Bukit Mertajam | 1348 | - | - | 1735 | ||
| Butterworth | 1338 | - | 2240 | 0700 | - | 1758 |
| Bukit Mertajam | 1315 | - | 2232 | 0710 | - | 1807 |
| Nibong Tebal | - | - | 2220 | 0722 | - | - |
| Parit Buntar | 1300 | 1931 | 2215 | 0726 | 0915 | 1822 |
| Taiping | 1230 | 1901 | 2215 | 0757 | 0945 | 1852 |
| Kuala Kangsar | 1213 | 1842 | 2127 | 0814 | 1002 | 1909 |
| Ipoh | 1144 | 1816 | 2058 | 0844 | 1032 | 1939 |
| Batu Gajah | - | - | 2046 | 0855 | - | - |
| Kampar | 1122 | - | 2035 | 0905 | - | 1958 |
| Tapah Road | 1112 | - | 2025 | 0915 | - | 2008 |
| Sungkai | - | - | 2013 | 0928 | - | - |
| Slim River | - | - | 1959 | 0941 | - | - |
| Tanjung Malim | 1033 | 1711 | 1944 | 0953 | 1135 | 2014 |
| Rawang | - | - | 1914 | 1024 | - | - |
| Kepong Sentral | - | - | 1852 | 1043 | - | - |
| KL Sentral | 0930 | 1611 | 1835 | 1103 | 1243 | 2150 |
| Bandar Tasik Selatan | 1555 | 1814 | 1116 | 1301 | ||
| Kajang | 1540 | 1758 | 1133 | 1318 | ||
| Nilai | 1519 | 1735 | 1158 | 1344 | ||
| Seremban | 1501 | 1717 | 1217 | 1404 | ||
| Pulau Sebang/Tampin | 1428 | 1654 | 1250 | 1435 | ||
| Gemas | 1400 | 1630 | 1310 | 1500 | ||
Rolling stock
| Class | No. Built | Cars per Set | In service | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KTM Class 91 | 5 | 6 | 5 | Hyundai Rotem |
| KTM Class 93 | 10 | 6 | 7 | CSR Zhuzhou |
First Generation
Five KTM Class 91 train sets, each comprising six cars, were purchased by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad for $67 million (USD). The train sets were designed by Marubeni Corporation and jointly built by Hyundai Rotem of Korea and Mitsubishi Electric of Japan.[11] The maximum operational speed of the ETS fleet is 140 km/h but is designed to travel up to 160 km/h.[12] The total length of each train set is 138 m and weighs 231.8 tons. Each carriage is 22.95 m long, 2.75 m wide and 4 m high.[13] Each train set has a passenger seating capacity of 350 and includes on-board facilities including toilets, a buffet car, power sockets per two seats and two LED Televisions per car.
Second Generation
Ten KTM Class 93 train sets, are in the process of being commissioned to expand ETS service.
The rolling stock were to have been put into operation for the launch of the ETS Ekspres service between KL Sentral and Padang Besar, and the ETS Transit service between Ipoh and Padang Besar. However, reports of problems during the testing and commissioning of the train sets had resulted in the Malaysian land public transport regulator, SPAD, not approving the trains for use in time for the launch of the two services on 10 July 2015 and 11 July 2015.[14]
As a result, two KTM Class 91 train sets were used for some time, one for the ETS Ekspres, and the other for the ETS Transit, allowing for just one trip for each direction for both services.
The first four KTM Class 93 sets went into service mainly on the ETS Ekspres route on 10 October 2015
Gallery
-
KTM Class 91 at Ipoh.
-
Interior of KTM Class 91
-
New rolling stock of KTM Class 93 ETS 201.
See also
References
- ↑ "JADUAL 2.1 : STATISTIK TRAFIK KERETAPI TANAH MELAYU BERHAD (KTMB), SUKU KEEMPAT, 2015" [Table 2.1 : Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Traffic Statistics, Fourth Quarter, 2015] (PDF) (in Malay and English). Ministry of Transport, Malaysia. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ↑ "Recent scheduling ETS Services". KTM Intercity. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ↑ "KL-Padang Besar electric train starts run today". The Star. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015. External link in
|publisher=(help) - ↑ "Kenyataan Media:Penstrukturan Jadual Waktu Tren Intercity dan ETS Bermula 1 September 2015 (Restructuring of the Timetable for Intercity dan ETS Trains beginning 1 September 2015)" (PDF). KTM Berhad. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ "Kenyataan Media:Penstrukturan Jadual Waktu Tren Intercity dan ETS Bermula 10 Oktober 2015 (Restructuring of the Timetable for Intercity dan ETS Trains beginning 10 October 2015)" (PDF). KTM Berhad. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ Based on timetable available at http://homepage.ktmb.com.my/ktmb/index.php?r=portal/left&id=NkE5YnRiamg4ZjdGY0lmUVE4cWJhUT09&sub=cEdPVDZma1o0MmU0VlpRQloxWkh5QT09
- ↑ "Media Release" (PDF). KTM. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Notice" (PDF). KTM. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ "Media Release" (PDF). KTM. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Restructuring of the timetable for Intercity and ETS trains beginning 1 September 2015 (in Malay)" (PDF). Keretapi Tanah Melayu. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ↑ "Marubeni Gets $67 Million Malaysia Train-Car Order, Nikkei Says". Bloomberg (Bloomberg). 26 October 2008.
- ↑ "Electric trains to reduce travel time". The Star (Central). 24 August 2010.
- ↑ "Electric Train Set". Malaya Railway.
- ↑ Meng Yew Choong (19 July 2015). "Manufacturer working hard to solve issues with new ETS sets before official handover". The Star. Retrieved 20 July 2015. External link in
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