KUALA LUMPUR – With the addition of 10 sets of Electric Train Service (ETS) trains, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the daily trips to and from Padang Besar are expected to increase to 64 next year.
The passenger count is also expected to increase to about 7.5 million once all electric train sets are operational, he added.
“The current ETS service offers up to 32 daily services, including 10 ETS routes to and from Padang Besar.
“There are two stations for ETS services in Perlis: Padang Besar and Arau,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during the Minister’s Question Time this morning.
Loke was responding to Padang Besar MP Juan Rushdan Rusm, who asked about the Transport Ministry’s plans to expand ETS passenger carriages to meet the increasing demand, especially from passengers travelling to the state during the two-year Visit Perlis campaign, scheduled to run until 2025.
He said the ministry has acquired 10 sets of new 6-coach electric trains, supplementing the existing fleet of 24 electric train sets currently in use for ETS service operations.
“The new electric train sets are scheduled to be gradually integrated into ETS services beginning in 2025.
“In 2023, the ETS train accommodated 4,115,242 passengers. Among them, Padang Besar station in Perlis hosted 347,894 passengers, while Arau station recorded 231,896 passengers,” he added. – March 7, 2024
