KTM Komuter

KTM Komuter
KTM's service brand for electric commuter rail
Overview
Owner	Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Locale	Central Sector (Port Klang-Kuala Lumpur-Sentul; Tanjung Malim-Rawang-Kuala Lumpur-Seremban-Rembau) and Northern Sector (Kamunting-Butterworth-Gurun)
Stations	53 (Central) 11 (Northern)
Colour on map	1 2
Service
Type	Commuter rail
Operator(s)	Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Komuter Division)
Rolling stock	Class 83 3-cars formation (14 sets) Class 92 6-cars formation (37 sets)
History
Opened	1995
Technical
Line length	217 km (Central) 144 km (Northern)
Track gauge	1000 mm
Conduction system	With driver

KTM Komuter is a commuter rail service brand in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. The service was then introduced in the northern Peninsular Malaysia states of Kedah, Perak and Pulau Pinang in September 2015 after the completion of the Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrification and Double-Tracking Project.

The trains used are air-conditioned electric multiple units. 'Park & Ride' facilities are provided at stations at a nominal charge.

KTM Komuter is currently the most profitable passenger service offered by KTM, contributing RM84.63 million to group revenue in 2006, higher than KTM Intercity's profit of 70.94 million in the same year. According to the Ministry of Transport Malaysia 2008 Statistics, the ridership for the KTM Komuter is approximately 36.557 million passengers per annum.

Network

Central Sector

Lines

KTM Komuter's 175 km (109 mi) metre-gauge network in the Central Sector mainly cover in Klang Valley has 53 stations. It consists of two cross-city routes, namely the Sentul-Port Klang and Rawang-Seremban lines, plus a shuttle service from Rawang to Tanjung Malim, which began in April 2007.

Line (Operator)	Operational	Stations	Length (km)	Terminals
Port Klang Line	14 August 1995	23	45	Sentul	Port Klang
	29 July 2010	4	7	Template:KTMK stations	Template:KTMK stations
Seremban Line	14 August 1995	30	105	Rawang	Rembau (morning and evening peak) Sungai Gadut (all other times)
Rawang-Tanjung Malim Shuttle Route	21 April 2007	5	53	Rawang	Tanjung Malim

Transfers between the two main lines can be made at any of the four stations on the central core: KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, Bank Negara and Putra. Same-platform or cross-platform interchange is available at Kuala Lumpur. Passengers to and from stations between Rawang and Tanjung Malim must change trains at Rawang station.

KTM Komuter also services shopping complexes and recreational centres. The Mid Valley station opened in 2004 next to the Mid Valley Megamall. Other shopping centres near KTM Komuter stations are Subang Parade, Carrefour Subang Jaya (near Subang Jaya station) and The MINES (Serdang station).

Passengers for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) may take the KTM Komuter to Nilai Komuter halt and change to an airport bus, or they may change at KL Sentral station on to the dedicated KLIA Ekspres. Interchange with the RapidKL Rail (KL city metro) network is available at Bandar Tasik Selatan station for the Ampang Line and at KL Sentral for the Kelana Jaya Line. Passengers may also transfer to the Ampang Line in the city centre at Bank Negara station by means of a 200-metre covered walk to the Bandaraya LRT station.

KTM Komuter tickets are sold at counters and via vending machines, available at all stations and halts.

The service is subject to overcrowding during rush hours. To help alleviate this, the operator introduced a new queuing system to help passengers line up when the trains are coming. The lines are painted on the floor with three colour codes representing each of the train set. The system was first implemented at KL Sentral station on 17 October 2008. The operator is also considering introducing express services between Sungai Buloh and Kajang stations and between Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam station during rush hours by the end of 2008.

Stations

The Komuter service was largely built from existing lines, with minor alterations (i.e. removal or abandonment of lines and replacement of wooden sleepers with concrete ones). Relevant station platforms were added and heightened to allow easier access to Komuter trains travelling in both directions.

Major pre-independence stations including Kuala Lumpur station, Klang station, Port Klang station and Seremban station were retained and upgraded to support Komuter services. Smaller, wood-based stations and halts along the line that were built at around the same time were either demolished and replaced by modern brick-and-concrete counterparts, or simply abandoned. The only exception to the rule is the old Sentul station, which has remained in service years since KTM Komuter's launch, albeit with a replacement platform.

The layouts and sizes of the new station buildings, as of the launch of the service in 1995, vary by location but are generally divided into two classes:

• Railway halts, consisting of a small single-storey structure with only ticket counters (a ticket booth, ticket machines and faregates). The stations are usually placed along straightforward dual-lane lines.
• Medium-sized and single-storey stations, housing both the ticket counters and station offices, and typically stationed along three or more lines. Such stations are typically intended to support additional responsibilities, such as managing railway signals, controlling points and handling goods services. The stations themselves are similar in design to the original wood-based stations along the line with slight hints of Western colonial designs (arches, wooden-and-glass windows and wooden doors), but are larger and modernised.

The platforms of the 1995 stations are virtually standardised, down to the design of the passenger semicircle-crossed shelters, the use of similarly-styled foot crossings to link all platforms, and the diamonds-based brickwork of the platforms.

Depending on the amount of patrons through the years, each station has undergone upgrades or expansions that consist of either increasing the number of ticket counters or opening new facilities for use by passengers or railway staff. Taller, wider canopies were erected on the platforms of most stations to replace narrower, original versions in 2006 and 2007. The pace of the upgrades varies by location.

During the 2000s, new stations such as the Mid Valley station appeared in more modern designs, consisting primarily of high, curved canopies above the entire platforms. Certain new stations along dual-lane lines are also included with facilities typically reserved for medium-sized stations, such as the Rasa station. The Kuala Lumpur Sentral station, however, is housed under the concrete base of the transport hub, and is stark and utilitarian in design.

KTM Komuter serves the following stations:

Port Klang Line	Seremban Line	Rawang - Tanjung Malim shuttle
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* Stations under construction

Northern Sector

Main article: Kamunting-Butterworth-Gurun Line

On 11 September 2015, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad introduced the Northern Sector KTM Komuter Shuttle (Tren Shuttle KTM Komuter Sektor Utara in Bahasa Malaysia) service between Gurun in Kedah, Butterworth in Pulau Pinang and Kamunting in Perak. This followed the completion of the Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrification and Double-Tracking Project in December 2014.

Line

Currently, the Northern Sector KTM Komuter service consists of one line with trains shuttling between Gurun and Kamunting, the two ends of the line, as well as the branch line between Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam. The length of the line is 144km.

Stations

Currently, trains stop at all 11 stations of the line.

Station Name	Platform type	Interchange station/Notes
Gurun	2 Island	Northern terminus of the Norther Sector KTM Komuuter Shuttle service.
Sungai Petani	2 Side
Tasek Gelugor	1 Island 1 Side
Bukit Mertajam	2 Island
Bukit Tengah	2 Island
Butterworth	2 Island	Terminus of the branch line from Bukit Mertajam. Trains travel in reverse direction when continuing its journey. Access to ferry to Penang island.
Simpang Ampat	2 Side
Nibong Tebal	2 Side
Parit Buntar	2 Side
Bagan Serai	2 Side
Kamunting	2 Island	Southern terminus of the Northern Sector KTM Komuter Shuttle Service

Rolling stock

Class 83 KTM Komuter train (EMU 35) at Bank Negara

The original Komuter rolling stock consists of three versions of three-car EMUs added over the course of three years, beginning in 1994. The EMUs were the first in KTM's history. All Komuter EMUs operate in multiple-unit formation, running from overhead single-phase 25kV AC 50 Hz catenary supply, with two driving cars and 1 - 3 trailer cars in between. The EMUs were state-of-the-art, with remote-controlled pneumatic doors, Automatic Train Protection (ATP), train data recorder, wheel-slip control, GTO/IGBT traction electronics and regenerative braking. Up to the point of their introduction no other KTM motive power used these modern train control systems.

Designated by KTM as "Class 8x"s, the EMUs wear a yellow, blue and grey livery, a departure from the predominantly grey livery that KTM adopted on other locomotives and passenger coaches at the time. A handful of EMUs include full advertisements on the sides of their cars.

The original Komuter fleet consisted of the following models:

• 18 Class 81 EMUs (designations EMU 01 to EMU 18) manufactured by Jenbacher Transport in Austria-Hungary (1994/1995). Retired from Komuter service to be used for intercity services in the future.
• 22 Class 83 EMUs (designations EMU 19 to EMU 40) manufactured by Hyundai (HPID) (1996/1997). 15 sets remain in service.
• 22 Class 82 EMUs (designations EMU 41 to EMU 62) manufactured by Union Carriage & Wagon in South Africa (1996/1997).Retired from service due to lack of spare parts

Four of the EMUs have since been decommissioned following serious accidents that affected their structural integrity, while another five are not listed as serviceable. On paper, the number of serviceable units in 2010 stands at 53 out of the original 62, although there are reports of far fewer trains. However, the actual number of trains is set to rise back to the original, as trains are being reconditioned. This, however, may change as most of the class 8x EMUs have been retired from komuter service,having been replaced by Class 92 EMUs

By July 2012, additional 6-car rolling stock has entered service with KTM Koumter:

• 38 Class 92 EMUs manufactured by China's Zhu Zhou Electric Locomotives Co Ltd

The front of the KTMB Class 92 in Kuala Lumpur railway station.

Expansion and future plans

New routes and stations

During the 2000s, the Komuter line saw the addition of seven more stations:

• The Kuala Lumpur Sentral station, opened 16 April 2001, includes platforms for both the Rawang-Seremban route and the Sentul-Port Klang route. While KL Sentral took over the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station's role of interchange with Intercity train services, the latter remains a separate stop for KTM Komuter services.
• The Mid Valley station, opened 23 August 2004, primarily serves users of the adjoining Mid Valley Megamall and adjacent commercial facilities.
• Kepong Sentral, opened 1 July 2006, stands beside the Middle Ring Road Two in the KL suburb of Kepong, on the Rawang-Seremban route.
• The Serendah, Batang Kali and Rasa stations, opened 21 April 2007, form part of a new stretch of electrified railway towards Ipoh from Rawang station. A shuttle service known as the Rawang-Rasa shuttle runs between Rawang and these three stations.
• The Kuala Kubu Bharu station, opened 5 January 2008. The Rawang-Rasa shuttle service was thus renamed as the Rawang-Kuala Kubu Bharu shuttle service.
• The shuttle route was extended to Tanjung Malim station on 1 June 2009, with the shuttle service renamed the Rawang-Tanjung Malim KTM Komuter Shuttle Service.
• The Sentul-Port Klang Route has been extended to Batu Caves since 29 July 2010, together with four intermediate new stations - Batu Kentonmen, Kampung Batu and Taman Wahyu.
• The Seremban Line was extended from Seremban to Sungai Gadut in 2012 with an intermediate stations at Senawang, and to Rembau in 2013 with a limited service operating.

On 11 September 2015, Keretapi Tanah Melayu introduced the Northern Sector KTM Komuter Shuttle Service, the first commuter train service outside the Klang Valley. The shuttle train service stops at 11 stations between Gurun and Kamunting, including Butterworth.

Route expansion in progress

Besides new stations, additional plans were made to extend the Komuter network outwards from it original route:

• KTMB also plans to extend 85 km (53 mi) Komuter services to Pulau Sebang, Melaka and Gemas. Construction is expected to complete by 2013. This will interchange with the future Komuter South (Komuter-Sud) line to Johor Bahru.
• The work for the shuttle service connecting Subang Jaya to Subang Skypark is currently underway. This extension is slated to have three stations: Glenmarie, Sri Subang, and Subang Skypark.

Incidents and accidents

• On the evening of 3 March 2004, a Seremban-bound KTM Komuter train in the Rawang-Seremban Route collided with the rear of another Komuter train facing the same direction, which had been waiting at a signal between Tiroi station and Seremban station for five minutes. Forty were injured, but no deaths were reported. The accident was ascribed to the faulty signal light (struck by lightning) that stopped the earlier train, though the driver of the rear-ending train is reported to have run a red light into the section occupied by the rear-ended train. The resulting crash disrupted KTM Komuter services along the line for a day. This is so far the worst accident involving the KTM Komuter service.
• On 2 March 2007, a crane fell onto a KTM Komuter train track near the Sentul-Port Klang Route's Shah Alam Komuter station, stranding about 10,000 passengers and cancelling 40 trips. Alternative transport services were provided.
• On 25 May 2007, a person was killed after he was hit by a KTM Komuter train while crossing the tracks illegally. Deaths in this manner have occurred along Komuter lines before.
• On 27 February 2008, overhead power cables between Subang Jaya and Petaling stations of the Sentul-Port Klang route broke, causing all train services to be modified to run on the Sentul-Petaling route instead.
• On 22 October 2009, a multipurpose vehicle plunged into the railway track as it was heading from Kuala Lumpur towards Subang Jaya. Train services were disrupted, and the vehicle was towed away 3 hours after the accident.
• On 4 February 2013, A woman in her 50s was run over by a commuter train at the Taman Wahyu KTM Komuter Station. The victim was said to have been dragged 50m along the track in the incident.

Timeline

• 3 August 1995 - The first KTM Komuter trains began taking passengers between Kuala Lumpur and Rawang. Free trips were offered until 11 August 1995.
• 14 August 1995 - Commercial operations begin for the KTM Komuter between Kuala Lumpur and Rawang. It was then extended to Salak South on 29 September 1995.
• 28 August 1995 - Operations between Sentul and Shah Alam began. Service was extended to Klang on 29 September 1995.
• 20 November 1995 - The Rawang-Kuala Lumpur service extended to Kajang.
• 18 December 1995 - Entire KTM Komuter network opened with final stretch to Seremban opened.
• 16 April 2001 - KL Sentral KTM Komuter station opened.
• 3 March 2004 - Worst KTM Komuter accident occurred when a Seremban-bound commuter train hits the rear of another train near Seremban.
• 23 August 2004 - Mid Valley KTM Komuter station opened.
• 1 July 2005 - KTM Komuter network began accepting Touch 'n Go electronic farecards.
• 1 July 2006 - Kepong Sentral KTM Komuter station opened.
• 21 April 2007 - Shuttle service between Rawang and Rasa began.
• 5 January 2008 - Opening of Kuala Kubu Bharu station, and extension of the Rawang-Kuala Kubu Bharu shuttle service (formerly known as Rawang-Rasa shuttle service) to this station.
• 1 June 2009 - Extension of Rawang-Kuala Kubu Bharu route to Tanjung Malim. The route is now called Rawang-Tanjung Malim shuttle service.
• 28 April 2010 - Women-only coaches introduced. The coach is the middle coach in the train setb.
• 29 July 2010 - Sentul-Port Klang route extended to Batu Caves with introduction of 4 new stations.
• 14 May 2011 - Seremban-Rawang route extended to Senawang and Sungai Gadut.

Gallery

• 
  KTM Komuter network
• 
  A train passing by a danger sign on the platform
• 
  Putra Komuter station, an example of early design of a station prior to canopy upgrade
• 
  Mid Valley Komuter station, showing the new canopy roof
• 
  KTM Komuter in KL Sentral
• 
  The new Tanjung Malim railway station will become the new terminus of the KTM Komuter network

See also

• Keretapi Tanah Melayu
  • KTM Intercity
    • KTM West Coast Line
    • KTM East Coast Line
    • KTM ETS
  • KTM Komuter
    • Seremban Line
    • Port Klang Line
    • Kamunting-Butterworth-Gurun Line
• Rail transport in Malaysia
• Public transport in Kuala Lumpur

External links

• The KTM Komuter at the Keretapi Tanah Melayu website