KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry (MoT) will roll out 10 sets of six-coach electric trains next year to boost Electric Train Service (ETS) ridership.
Transport minister, Anthony Loke Siew Fook, told the Dewan Rakyat today (March 7) that the ministry targeted seven million passengers by next year, a two-fold increase in ridership.
He said the ETS with 24 sets of electric trains, offered 32 services per day, including 10 to and from Padang Besar.
"To meet the high demand, the Transport Ministry has acquired 10 new sets of six-coach electric trains.
"The new sets will be gradually deployed starting early next year," he said during Minister's Question Time.
Loke added that last year, there were 4,115,242 ETS passengers. In Perlis, the Padang Besar station recorded 347,894 passengers and there were 231,896 passengers recorded at the Arau station.
"The additional trains will contribute to increased frequency per day from 32 trips to 64 trips, and an estimated increase in ridership to 7,547,565 when all the new trains are in operation."
He was responding to Rushdan Rusmi (Perikatan Nasional-Padang Besar) who had asked if the Transport Ministry planned to add more trains due to the increasing number of passengers to Perlis in conjunction with Visit Perlis Year 2024-2025.