KUALA LUMPUR — The Aerotrain service at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is still delayed and the contractor has yet to give a firm date on completion of the system’s overhaul, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
He told a press conference that testing is still being conducted with no clear timeline for completion.
“I have put on record that I am not happy with many things at Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). A lot of decisions are delayed. The Aerotrain is a good example.
“(As transport minister) I have to answer to the public. But it’s not a decision made by me. I’m the one being asked about the Aerotrain. The media will not ask MAHB, they will ask me.
“Yes I’m answerable, but you have to understand that the decisions are made by MAHB,” Loke said at a press conference at his ministry in Putrajaya today.
In September, Loke said the Aerotrain replacement would be completed by Jan 31 this year.
After frequent breakdowns, the system, which connects the main KLIA building, where travellers clear Immigration, with the satellite terminal, was suspended in March 2023 as the Aerotrains had reached the end of their lifespan after 25 years.
Today, Loke said “dynamic testing” was currently being conducted on the trains, before “full system testing” can commence. This will be followed by systems integration.
“Only then can the Aerotrains be handed over. They have yet to return with a firm date,” Loke said.
Since the Aerotrain’s suspension, transit buses have been used to ferry passengers to the terminals.
Earlier this month, Loke sidestepped questions on delays about the Aerotrain’s replacement, amid talk that the system would only be ready at the end of the first quarter this year.
Pressure to complete the project is strong as Malaysia holds the Asean chairmanship for 2025 and will be welcoming regional leaders and delegates for numerous Asean-related meetings hosted here.
Loke raised the Aerotrain replacement delay today when answering questions about MAHB’s ongoing privatisation.
He said the exercise was much needed and hoped for its completion soon as the airport operator needed capital to improve and upgrade KLIA.
“Much more can be done at a faster pace at MAHB,” Loke said, citing the Aerotrain issue as an example.
Prior to suspending the Aerotrain service in March 2023, MAHB the previous year announced the replacement project with an expected timeline of three years for completion.
However, the project suffered delays and was followed by the award of a new project in January 2024 to a consortium comprising Alstom, original equipment manufacturer Aerotrain and the IJMC-Pestech JV to steer the project back on track. – January 15, 2025
