KTM Class 81

Class 81
A Class 81 EMU 14 Komuter train.
In service	1994 - Current
Manufacturer	Jenbacher Transport (designed by Hunslet TPL)
Number built	54 cars (18 sets) (14 sets retired and abandoned, 4 sets refurbished)
Formation	3 per trainset
Capacity	414 (224 seats)
Operator(s)	Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Depot(s)	Batu Gajah Rail Depot Sentul Komuter Depot
Line(s) served	Seremban-Pulau Sebang/Tampin Route Seremban-Pulau Sebang/Tampin-Gemas Route
Specifications
Height	3.65 m (12 ft 0 in)
Maximum speed	160 km/h (99 mph) (Design) 120 km/h (75 mph) (Service)
Weight	121 tonnes (119 long tons; 133 short tons)
Electric system(s)	25 kV 50 Hz AC catenary
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ^3⁄8 in) metre gauge

The Class 81 is the first and oldest type of electric multiple unit introduced by Keretapi Tanah Melayu for its KTM Komuter service. 18 sets were designed by Hunslet TPL and built by Jenbacher Transport and were delivered in stages. The class 81 currently operates in a fixed 3-car formation for its regular service.^[1] During the 1995-1999 period it used to operate at peak hours in a 3+3 car formation. But this configuration was soon discontinued. Briefly from 2009-2010, some of the train sets of this class were used in a hybrid diesel pull configuration in which an unpowered EMU would be towed by a diesel locomotive and while it gets electricity from an attached generator wagon.

The cars have features that resemble passenger carriages on existing intercity services, such as single-leaf doors, luggage racks and transverse seating. During the overhaul drive 2008, it was seen that a number of class 81's were refurbished such that there would be larger standing areas near the doors while enlarging the narrow bottle-necking corridors surrounding the doors. The Class 81 is now operated with a designated female coach at the middle (or second car) of the train set.

The KTM class 81 design is derived from the proven British Rail Class 323, with the main alteration being that it has single leaf swing-plug doors instead of a double leaf type.

Description

The rolling stock consists of three versions of three-car EMUs added over the course of three years, beginning in 1994. The EMUs were the first in KTM's history. All Komuter EMUs operate in multiple-unit formation, running from overhead single-phase 25 kV AC 50 Hz catenary supply, with two driving cars and 1 - 3 trailer cars in between. The EMUs were state-of-the-art, with remote-controlled pneumatic doors, Automatic Train Protection (ATP), train data recorder, wheel-slip control, GTO/IGBT traction electronics and regenerative braking. Up to the point of their introduction no other KTM motive power used these modern train control systems.

Designated by KTM as "Class 8x"s, the EMUs wear a yellow, blue and grey livery, a departure from the predominantly grey livery that KTM adopted on other locomotives and passenger coaches at the time. A handful of EMUs include full advertisements on the sides of their cars.

The original Komuter fleet consisted of the following models:

• 18 Class 81 EMUs (designations EMU 01 to EMU 18) manufactured by Jenbacher Transport in Austria-Hungary (1994/1995)
• 22 Class 83 EMUs (designations EMU 19 to EMU 40) manufactured by Hyundai (HPID) (1996/1997)
• 22 Class 82 EMUs (designations EMU 41 to EMU 62) manufactured by Union Carriage & Wagon in South Africa (1996/1997)

Car No.	1	2	3
Seating capacity	72	80	72
Designation	Mc	Tp	Mc

Set Designation	1	2	3	Status
EMU 01	C8101	T8101	C8102	Scrapped
EMU 02	C8103	T8102	C8104	Abandoned
EMU 03	C8105	T8103	C8106	Abandoned
EMU 04	C8107	T8104	C8108	Abandoned
EMU 05	C8109	T8105	C8110	Refurbished
EMU 06	C8111	T8106	C8112	Refurbished
EMU 07	C8113	T8107	C8114	Abandoned
EMU 08	C8115	T8108	C8116	Abandoned
EMU 09	C8117	T8109	C8118	Refurbished
EMU 10	C8119	T8110	C8120	Abandoned
EMU 11	C8121	T8111	C8122	Abandoned
EMU 12	C8123	T8112	C8124	Abandoned
EMU 13	C8125	T8113	C8126	Abandoned
EMU 14	C8127	T8114	C8128	Refurbished
EMU 15	C8129	T8115	C8130	Abandoned
EMU 16	C8131	T8116	C8132	Abandoned at Rawang
EMU 17	C8133	T8117	C8134	Abandoned at Rawang
EMU 18	C8135	T8118	C8136	Abandoned

Refurbishing

On late 2013, the Seremban-Gemas Electrified Double Tracking Project was completed. However, there were not enough ETS trainsets that can be used to serve the track. As a result, a few of the Class 81 has been refurbished with a new livery. One of the trainset that was refurbished was EMU 14. The middle coach has a surau in it. An LCD TV was also added to each end of the coach.

Service History

The class 81 currently operates in a fixed 3-car formation for its regular service. During the 1995-1999 period it used to operate at peak hours in a 3+3 car formation. But this configuration was soon discontinued.

Briefly from 2009-2010, some of the train sets of this class were used in a hybrid diesel pull configuration in which an unpowered EMU would be towed by a diesel locomotive and while it gets electricity from an attached generator wagon. Dubbed the KTM "Hybrid" trains it serviced both KLS-Rawang and Kajang-Rawang routes.^[2]

The arrival of the KTM Class 92 in 2012 resulted in retirement of the KTM class 81, with now many brought down to Sentul workshops, to be refurbished and converted into inter-regional sets.

Gallery

• 

  The (modified—with walls cut open and additional handle bars) interior of a Class 81 EMU train.

• 

  A class 81 EMU 03 commuter train

• 

  KTMB CLASS 81 EMU 14 & CLASS 82 EMU 42

• 

  KTMB CLASS 81 EMU 06

• 

  KTMB CLASS 81 EMU 06

• 

  KTM CLASS 81 EMU at Seremban

See also

• British Rail Class 323

References

1. "KOMI". ktmkomuter.com.my. KTM Komuter. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
2. Kng Zheng Guan (2009-05-15). "KTMB running hybrid trains to deal with congestion". The Star.