KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM257 million is needed for the annual maintenance cost of railway assets managed by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the cost is aimed at supporting a reliable rail operating system. He said KTMB is currently upgrading the electrification system for the Klang Valley sector to ensure its optimal condition and to prevent train operation failures.
"The electrification system upgrade project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2027."The double-tracking project between Gemas-Johor Bahru is also underway and expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025, connecting the Padang Besar station to the Johor Bahru station in the south," he said.
He said this in a written response published on the Dewan Rakyat portal while answering a question by Tan Kok Wai (PH-Cheras) regarding the readiness level of the LRT, MRT, Komuter, ETS, Monorail systems, and the annual maintenance costs for each system.
Loke added that the costs involve railway infrastructure amounting to RM84 million, electrification system (RM23 million), signalling and communication system (RM36 million) and rolling stock (RM114 million).
He said besides ensuring periodic maintenance is carried out according to schedule, KTMB is also implementing track upgrading projects in the Klang Valley, with Phase 1 expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024, while Phase 2 is projected to be completed in the first quarter of 2029.
"The Klang Valley Double-Tracking Project (KVDT) Phase 1 covers the Rawang to Salak Selatan route, while the KVDT 2 project encompasses the Salak Selatan to Seremban and Simpang Pelabuhan Klang (SPK) to Pelabuhan Klang routes," he added.
Loke also said that Prasarana, as the owner of LRT assets in the Klang Valley, along with Rapid Rail as the LRT and MRT operator, is planning and implementing several initiatives to improve and enhance train reliability to reduce damages and service disruptions during operations.
"For the Ampang Line LRT, overhaul works for all components involving 50 train units are underway and expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2028, with an estimated cost of RM190.4 million, and the implementation of a Long-Term Service Support (LTSS) for 10 years with the OEM for the signalling system is scheduled to begin in September 2024."
"For the Kelana Jaya Line LRT, ongoing initiatives include the replacement of faulty brakes and propulsion tachometers worth RM1.5 million for train 818. This repair is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024.
"Meanwhile, for the monorail line, the replacement of tires that have reached the allowed tire wear level or maximum distance will commence in 2024 with an estimated cost of RM2.2 million," he added.
Furthermore, for the Kajang MRT Line, the train wheel replacement work worth RM36.7 million is expected to be completed in January 2025.
