The  park, which will be on a railway reserve in Jalan 1/2 here,  is expected to serve residents from the surrounding neighbourhoods  namely Section 1, Section 2, Section 3 and Section 4.

Petaling Jaya City Council councillor Tang Fuie Koh said the council had received an approval in November last year from the landowner Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB), to develop the park

at the reserve land, which is being used as a parking lot for buses and lorries as well as  housing stalls.

He said the council would start work on the park after signing the tenancy agreement with the railway authority and removing squatters from the area.

“The agreement between KTMB, the  parking operator and the stall operators expired last year.

“KTMB has served them notices and once the council enters into an agreement with KTMB, it will have the rights to evict squatters if necessary,” said Tang.

“Among the facilities planned are jogging tracks, shelters and  a cafe.

“We have yet to discuss what other features would be put up in the park. As the New Pantai Expressway is close by, we will construct sound barriers.

“Residents also want a Rukun Tetangga cabin, a herb garden and some organic waste and compost recycling initiative at the park.”

Tang said he was working on a system whereby the park can be  jointly developed and maintained by the council and residents.

“The idea is to set up a committee under the name of Friends of Railway Park and the members of the committee would consist of residents group, councillors and council officers,” he said.

Tang said he would be inviting community stakeholders within Old Town for a meeting prior to the launch.

Among them would be  the Residents’ Associations and the Rukun Tetangga of Section 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Section 1 Rukun Tetangga chairman Kok Kuan Yong said the park was a good idea as people from Section 1 won’t need to go all the way to Bukit Gasing in Section 5 for their morning walks.

“This is an excellent option for residents as the park would be closer to home,” said Kok.

Section 4 Rukun Tetangga secretary L. Mithila Dev  said the recreation park would make residents happy.

The  70-year-old retired teacher, who lives near  the Jalan Othman market, said morning walks in her neighbourhood was often unpleasant due to the stench from the market.

Sumber : New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) is in the process of upgrading its services to better serve passengers daily, said Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal.

Responding to the GTP’s Urban Public Transport NKRA lab indication of the need to improve its services, he said KTMB decided to increase its trains’ passenger capacity with additional six-car train sets, which are twice the length of its current three-car trains sets used for the Komuter service.

Mohd Nur Ismal said in May 2010 KTMB had made an acquisition of 38 six-car train sets to improve its services and capacity to accommodate the increase in ridership for the Komuter lines, which would address issues such as service delays caused by insufficient trains.

He said Komuter passengers could expect improved services by the end of the first quarter this year after KTMB introduces the first six-car train set for the service.

Each train can accommodate up to 1,000 passengers per trip, 700 more than the older trains’ 300-passenger capacity.

He said all 38 trains were expected to be operational by July and would reduce waiting time for train arrival intervals to about 10 minutes during peak periods.

Sumber : The Star

KUALA LUMPUR – Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) is providing additional shuttle train services between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and Batu Caves station from yesterday to tomorrow in conjunction with Thaipusam.

During the two-day festival which began yesterday , KTMB  provided 200 special train services and 20 additional KTM  Komuter services within every 30 minutes frequency.

Shuttle services for the Kuala Lumpur-Batu Caves-Kuala  Lumpur routes operate at every 15 minutes.

“We are committed to providing good service to our  customers as to make sure the trains arrive on time,” he  said.

Hider said the additional train services will help reduce  traffic congestion in the city.

“We would like to urge as many people as possible to use  the special trains from Kuala Lumpur Sentral to Batu Caves  or take the additional trains rather than driving,” he  added.

He also advised passengers to take care of their essential  items while in the trains.

Sumber:  New Straits Times

Pengurus Besar (Perkhidmatan Komuter) KTM Bhd, Mohd Hider Yusoff@Othman, berkata perkhidmatan tren disediakan bagi perjalanan terus dari laluan Kuala Lumpur-Batu Caves-Kuala Lumpur.”Perkhidmatan Komuter tambahan pula membabitkan sektor Rawang-Kuala Lumpur-Rawang, Seremban-Kuala Lumpur-Seremban dan sektor Pelabuhan Klang-Sentul-Pelabuhan Klang, dengan masing-masing dua perkhidmatan pada waktu malam dan awal pagi, dengan kekerapan setiap 30 minit,” katanya pada sidang media di sini, hari ini.Perkhidmatan tren komuter tambahan untuk laluan ulang-alik antara Rawang-Kuala Lumpur bermula 11.45 malam dan berakhir 1.45 pagi, manakala laluan Kuala Lumpur-Rawang pada 12.50 tengah malam hingga 4.50 pagi.

Bagi perkhidmatan ulang-alik Seremban-Kuala Lumpur, tren bermula pada 11 malam dan berakhir 1 pagi manakala perjalanan ke Kuala Lumpur-Seremban bermula 11.54 malam dan berakhir pada 3.54 pagi.

Perkhidmatan tren bagi Stesen Pelabuhan Klang-Batu Caves bermula pada 11.05 malam dan berakhir 1.05 pagi manakala bagi perjalanan dari Batu Caves ke Pelabuhan Klang bermula pada 11.05 malam dan berakhir 3.05 pagi.

Perkhidmatan tren ulang-alik bagi laluan Kuala Lumpur-Batu Caves-Kuala Lumpur disediakan dengan kekerapan 15 minit.
Perjalanan tren KTMB dari stesen Kuala Lumpur-Batu Caves untuk 3 hari berkenaan bermula seawal 6.25 pagi, manakala bagi 7 dan 8 Februari, tren bermula pada 12.25 pagi.

Tren terakhir pada 6 dan 7 Februari ialah pada 11.55 malam dan 8 Februari pada 2.55 pagi.

Bagi perkhidmatan stesen Batu Caves – Kuala Lumpur pada 6 Februari, tren bermula seawal 5.55 pagi dan terakhir pada 11.55 malam, tren beroperasi pada 7 dan 8 Februari pada jam 12.25 tengah malam dan perjalanan terakhir bagi kedua-dua hari tersebut pada 11.55 malam dan 3.25 pagi.

Mohd Hider berkata, ia adalah tahun kedua KTMB membuka stesen Batu Caves dengan sebanyak 182 tren tambahan disediakan dan akan beroperasi secara ulang-alik antara Kuala Lumpur-Batu Caves dengan kekerapan setiap 15 minit.

“Selain itu, perkhidmatan tren dengan kekerapan biasa 30 minit juga diteruskan ke Batu Caves dan setiap tren mempunyai kapasiti 500 penumpang,” katanya.

Beliau menjangkakan, lebih 100,000 orang menggunakan perkhidmatan Komuter pada Hari Thaipusam dan bagi memastikan kelancaran serta keselesaan penumpang, KTMB menyediakan 100 petugas tambahan terdiri daripada kakitangan KTMB, jabatan keselamatan, logistik dan jabatan operasi.

Hider berkata, seramai 200 petugas dari agensi luar seperti Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia (RELA), St John Ambulans dan Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah akan bertugas di stesen utama seperti Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves, Seremban, Klang, Shah Alam dan Subang Jaya.

Turut hadir, pada sidang media itu Pengurus Wilayah Tengah (Ipoh-Seremban)KTMB, Md Rusli Md Noor yang memberi taklimat ringkas mengenai laluan penumpang.

Perkhidmatan itu akan berjalan 24 jam tanpa henti dan beroperasi selama tiga hari berturut-turut sempena perayaan Thaipusam.

KTMB menasihati penumpang agar bertanggungjawab terhadap keselamatan diri, keluarga dan barangan yang dibawa selain menyarankan mereka membeli tiket perjalanan dua hala bagi mengelak kesesakan ketika perjalanan pulang.

Selain itu, KTMB turut mendapat kerjasama Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya bagi menyediakan tandas awam bergerak.

Sumber : Berita Harian

KTMB said there were still some 36,000 tickets for travel between Jan 18 and 31, which can be purchased at KTM Intercity counters throughout the country.

KTMB offered a total of 73,786 tickets of various classes to all the sectors in conjunction with Chinese New Year.

“Further information may be obtained from 1-300-88-5862,” KTMB said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Express Rail Link (ERL) is offering the Group Saver and Family Packages for families and friends travelling on KLIA Ekspres.

The special fares are available online through www.KLIAekspres.com and www.malaysiaairlines.com

The Family Package is only RM75 one-way for two adults and two children (2 to 12-years-old), which is a 25% discount from the normal fare.

Those, who are travelling together in a group of three or more, can enjoy savings with the Group Saver fare of RM25 per person one-way. The KLIA Ekspres single standard fare is RM35.

Passengers can purchase the tickets online from Jan 13, for travel from Jan 19 to Feb 7. The e-tickets issued in PDF format are valid for use on the selected travel dates only.

Sumber : The Star

SINGAPORE: THE 23km railway tracks between Tanjong Pagar and Woodlands here have now turned into a narrow strip of grassland, burying a chapter of  glorious history between the republic and Malaysia.

The Land Transport Authority of Singapore has planted grass on the long strip of land, which was once the path of KTM Berhad’s locomotives that cut the republic into two halves.

For those who have never seen the tracks before, they would hardly be able to visualise the rail history underneath if they were to stand on it today.

KTMB’s subsidiary — Multimodal Freight Sdn Bhd — had been tasked with removing the railway tracks, which weighed 2,500 tonnes, and demolishing all the locomotive shades as well as the  depots along the stretch.

The  job was divided into several packages, but all the work was completed on Nov 12.

Part of the tracks will be showcased in KTMB’s museums as historical exhibits, while others will be kept for future use on KTMB tracks throughout Malaysia.

KTMB corporate communications manager Mohd Fazil Ismail said the first museum to display such exhibits would be the former Johor Baru railway station, which would be turned into a museum soon.

He also said there were no plans to stop operations at Woodlands in northern Singapore despite the losses incurred over the months.

“There is no instruction from both the ministries of Transport and Finance to stop the Woodlands operations,” he told the New Straits Times.

“Their instructions are needed as the Transport Ministry  is the supervisor of the national rail company’s operations.”

It was reported that the shifting of KTMB’s railway operations to Woodlands last July following the closure of the Tanjong Pagar railway station had taken a toll on its revenue.

Checks showed that the company incurred an average monthly loss of S$730,000 (RM1.8 million) since July as a result of a decline of between 20 and 30 per cent in passengers using the train services to the republic.

KTMB believes many of its customers have instead opted to travel to Singapore by express buses and planes as the Woodlands station is not quite as convenient for travellers to the republic as Tanjong Pagar.

There are seven train services to Singapore daily and all  stop at the Woodlands checkpoint.

All these trains make a brief stopover at JB Sentral in Johor Baru before moving towards Woodlands, about a kilometre away.

Fazil said KTMB was trying to offset the losses by capitalising on the Johor Baru market.

For example, he said, it introduced an additional train service from Tumpat to Johor Baru, called the Malayan Tiger, last month.

The 14-coach service is regarded as an impetus for the tourism industry in Johor, especially in view of the new tourism products  coming up in Iskandar Malaysia.

Sumber: New Straits Times

Perbincangan tersebut akan berlangsung sempena Sesi Pemukiman Malaysia-Singapura di sini esok yang menyaksikan pertemuan antara Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan rakan sejawat Lee Hsien Loong yang melakukan lawatan kerja sehari ke negara ini.

Sesi permukiman pertama telah diadakan pada Mei 2007 di Langkawi, Malaysia diikuti dengan sesi pemukiman kedua di Singapura pada Mei 2010.

Pada 27 Jun 2011 di sini, Malaysia dan Singapura menandatangani Perjanjian Pelaksanaan Points of Agreement (POA) 1990 ke atas tanah-tanah Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) di Singapura dan Kenyataan- kenyataan Bersama yang dikeluarkan oleh kedua-dua Pemimpin pada 2010.

Perkembangan signifikan dalam pelaksanaan perjanjian tersebut telah berjaya dicapai, termasuk aspek-aspek kerjasama di Iskandar Malaysia, yang mencerminkan komitmen jitu kepimpinan kedua-dua negara bagi memantapkan hubungan dua hala ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi.

Wisma Putra dalam kenyataannya hari ini memberitahu, satu Kenyataan Bersama akan dikeluarkan oleh kedua-dua pemimpin pada akhir sesi permukiman tersebut.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia

Presiden KTMB, Dr. Aminuddin Adnan berkata, ia sekali gus dapat mengatasi pelbagai masalah yang dihadapi oleh perkhidmatan sedia ada yang menggunakan set tren tiga gerabak (EMU) seperti kelewatan, kekurangan gerabak dan sistem tergendala yang menjejaskan keberkesanan perkhidmatannya.

“Kita mempunyai 25 set EMU yang setengah daripadanya perlu dibaik pulih yang mana ia perlu dilaksanakan secara berperingkat-peringkat. Sekarang kita tidak boleh baik pulih set EMU kerana tidak mempunyai set tren yang mencukupi (bagi menampung penggunaan) sebab itu, kadang-kala perkhidmatan komuter sering tergendala,” katanya pada taklimat kepada media di Kompleks KTMB di sini, hari ini.

Beliau berkata, pada masa sekarang KTMB tidak berupaya untuk memendekkan waktu kekerapan perkhidmatan komuter kerana tidak mempunyai bilangan set tren yang mencukupi bagi menampung penggunaan.

Katanya lagi, KTMB akan meningkatkan keberkesanan operasi komuter dengan memendekkan waktu kekerapan perkhidmatan apabila mempunyai bilangan set tren yang mencukupi dengan ketibaan SCS tahun depan iaitu kekerapan perkhidmatan daripada 30 minit kepada hanya 15 minit pada waktu puncak.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD), Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar berkata, walaupun mengikut perancangan awal KTMB menawarkan perkhidmatan menggunakan set SCS pada tahun ini, namun KTMB terpaksa menundanya bagi menjamin keselamatan keseluruhan operasi perkhidmatan itu.

Beliau berkata, setiap set tren yang mampu membawa sehingga 1,000 pengguna pada satu hala perjalanan itu perlu mengikut spesifikasi, peruntukan undang-undang dan standard antarabangsa dalam usaha menawarkan dan memperbaiki perkhidmatan komuter kepada pengguna.

Katanya lagi, sehingga hari ini, KTMB telah menerima sembilan daripada 38 set SCS dan empat lagi dijangka tiba pada Januari ini manakala baki 25 set akan diterima secara berperingkat sehingga Jun 2012.

“Kesemua 38 set tren SCS dijangka akan dapat berada dalam perkhidmatan mulai Jun 2012 dan waktu kekerapan akan dipercepatkan lagi kepada 10 minit setiap ketibaan dengan adanya 63 unit tren bagi perkhidmatan komuter iaitu 38 set SCS dan 25 set EMU,” ujarnya.

Beliau berkata, setiap satu daripada empat set SCS yang diterima KTMB kini dalam proses akhir pengujian dan pentaulihan yang dilaksanakan oleh jurutera dari syarikat pengeluar CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co (ZELC), jurutera KTMB serta diselia oleh SPAD.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia

Presiden Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (RUM), Abdul Razak Md. Hassan berkata, langkah itu akan dapat menambah baik perkhidmatan KTMB di samping menjamin kebajikan 5,500 pekerjanya.

“Penukaran itu juga akan dapat memastikan caj perkhidmatan KTMB kepada rakyat terutamanya kepada rakyat berpendapatan rendah sentiasa berada pada tahap yang tidak membebankan,” katanya kepada pemberita ketika menyuarakan bantahan pekerja terhadap cadangan pengambilalihan KTMB oleh MMC Corporation Bhd.

Isnin lepas MMC mengesahkan bahawa ia telah mengemukakan cadangan kepada Menteri Kewangan Diperbadankan (MoF Inc) bagi mengambil alih KTMB.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia

Perkhidmatan laluan MTT ke Pantai Timur itu mengggunakan 14 koc sumbangan negara Jepun dikenali sebagai Blue Coach – koc digunakan oleh syarikat JR Kyushu dan JR West bagi perkhidmatan laluan Tokyo – Kumamoto sebelum ini.

Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha berkata, dengan perkhidmatan itu, kapasiti penumpang juga dijangka meningkat kepada 17 peratus berbanding tahun ini dengan 30 hingga 40 peratus adalah pelancong asing.

“Kita yakin dengan tawaran perkhidmatan laluan terbaru menggunakan Blue Coach yang amat dikenali di Jepun ini mampu menarik minat pelancong asing dari dalam dan luar negara terutama dari Jepun dan Singapura.

“Perkhidmatan yang diperkenalkan ini juga dijangka dapat membuka lebih banyak peluang dan ruang terutamanya dalam bidang pelancongan,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas melancarkan MTT di sini hari ini.

Cho Ha berkata, koc terpakai berkenaan telah digunakan lebih 30 tahun di negara Jepun iaitu sejak 1970 hingga perkhidmatan terakhir pada Mac 2009 dan ia diberikan secara percuma dan kerajaan hanya menampung kos pengangkutan sebanyak RM7 juta.

Beliau berkata, biarpun ia sudah lama digunakan, tetapi keadaan koc itu masih berada dalam keadaan baik.

Ditanya tentang perkembangan projek landasan berkembar elektrik (EDTP) Gemas-Johor Bahru, beliau berkata, projek itu akan bermula tahun depan dan mengambil masa selama empat tahun untuk disiapkan.

“Persediaan awal untuk memulakan projek berjalan lancar termasuk proses pemindahan penduduk, bangunan komersial dan pemberian pampasan kepada mereka yang terlibat,” katanya.

Sumber : Utusan Malaysia