KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd's (KTMB) Asean Express cargo train service is set to streamline logistics services and boost trade between Malaysia and China.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Asean Express, which traverses Malaysia, Thailand and Laos, offers a faster alternative that reduces costs in the logistics sector.
"This service takes only nine days from Kuala Lumpur to Chongqing, China, compared to 14 to 21 days by sea, and will enhance cargo transport capacity.
"KTMB offers two Asean Express train services weekly for the round trip, carrying 40 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) containers between the Kontena Nasional Inland Clearance Depot and through Thailand and Laos to China," he said.
He said this after the launch of the first Malaysian-made leased locomotive and the flagging of the Asean Express at the Kontena Nasional Inland Clearance Depot here today.
Loke said the Asean Express service was the result of strategic cooperation between KTMB, State Railway of Thailand and Laos Railways, benefiting each country's logistics and transportation sectors.
"Today's flag-off of the Asean Express service, which carried 40 containers, will arrive in Chongqing, China within nine days and simultaneously, a train from Chongqing will also come to Malaysia.
"This is a significant collaboration that will boost trade between Malaysia and China and more importantly, seek cooperation with neighbouring countries, especially Thailand and Laos.
"The new service will also witness the use of Malaysia's first 'Pay-As-Use' locomotives and leasing wagons manufactured by KTMB," he said.
He said this marked a new chapter in the country's logistics services and held great potential for trade between Malaysia and China.
KTMB Group chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin said the new rail service demonstrated Asean and Malaysia's competitiveness in the global market.
"This project showcases technical expertise, innovation and solidifies KTMB's position as a key player in the rail industry.
"The Asean Express also has the potential to handle up to 20,000 TEUs annually from China to Asean markets, opening up significant opportunities for trade, economic growth and strengthening KTMB's strategic importance in the regional supply chain," he said.
KTMB expects the service to facilitate better economic integration among neighbouring countries.