BATU CAVES: Commuters in the Klang Valley will enjoy free KTM Komuter rides from Jan 24 to 25 in conjunction with Thaipusam.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the initiative by the ministry would be carried out through KTM Bhd (KTMB) from Jan 24, at the stroke of midnight, until 11.59pm the next day.
"This is the first time we're providing free rides for KTM users in the Klang Valley in conjunction with Thaipusam.
"However, commuters still need to scan (when checking in and out) at the automated control gates (turnstiles) at the stations during the period," he told a press conference at the Batu Caves temple today.
Loke said KTM Komuter operating hours would also be extended and available round-the-clock for four days from Jan 23 to 26, with additional trains for the Butterworth-KL Sentral and Padang Besar- KL Sentral routes available throughout the period.
He said 33 additional rail services will be available beyond KTM Komuter normal operating hours for the Batu Caves- Pulau Sebang- Batu Caves route, with 39 additional services for Batu Caves-Port Klang-Batu Caves.
This year, 28 stations will be operational round-the-clock for this initiative, with the Rembau and Pulau Sebang stops being the latest addition, he said.
"This will see 72 KTM Komuter trains in operation daily (throughout the period).
"The additional KTM Komuter train services will start at 9.55pm on Jan 23 from Pulau Sebang to Batu Caves with a frequency of one train hourly."
Meanwhile, trains from Pelabuhan Klang to Batu Caves will start from 11.39pm with a train available hourly, he said.
He said KTMB also provides new service for commuters from Port Klang who opt for direct trips to Batu Caves after midnight.
While there are no additional trains available between Tanjung Malim and Batu Caves, commuters may take the train from Tanjung Malim to the Bank Negara Putra station before making a transit at the KTM Komuter station to Batu Caves, he said.
Other alternatives, he said, included taking the MRT train from Sungai Buloh to Kampung Batu.
In addition, the pedestrian overhead bridge at the Batu Caves KTM station would be upgraded by the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC), he said.
He also added that free Rapid feeder bus services would be available in Kuala Lumpur and Penang in conjunction with the Thaipusam celebration.
He said KTMB would deploy additional staff to ensure a smooth flow especially at the Batu Caves station located next to the temple, where worshippers will gather for Thaipusam, attracting many tourists.
"After announcing the public transport initiatives for the Chinese New Year holiday period yesterday, I visited Batu Caves for the first time to oversee the preparations for Thaipusam that will involve hundreds of thousands of Hindu followers, tourists and members of the public every year."