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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Rail Business Asia congratulates Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. (ERL) who has successfully signed an agreement with Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd. (CRC) for the purchase of six additional new trains to cater to the ridership growth of both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services.
Signing the agreement was ERL Executive Chairman YBhg Tan Sri Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh and Mr. Wang Run, the Chairman of CRC. This momentous event was witnessed by the Honourable Minister of Transport, YB Dato' Sri Liow Tiong Lai.
In his speech Tan Sri Mohd. Nadzmi said, "With the opening of the new low-cost carrier terminal in KLIA2 in May this year, our total ridership has grown by 40% to-date compared to the same period last year. The fast 33-minute journey between KLIA2 and KL Sentral Station on the KLIA Ekspres at the same one-way fare of RM35 has made it the preferred choice for air travellers.
"The growth of key townships along our rail corridor has also been a contributing factor as we see more and more people opting to commute by KLIA Transit to work. With the increased load factor, there are certainly a lot of new challenges and business potentials for ERL."
Tan Sri Mohd. Nadzmi also said that CRC was selected to supply the new trains in view of the company's excellent track record, experience and proven ability to provide trains that met ERL's requirements and specifications. Most importantly, the trains will be compatible with ERL's current rail system. He added that ERL was fortunate to have the vision to have chosen an open system, and that foresight of using standard gauge track allowed ERL to select any rolling stock from anywhere in the world. Hence, today, ERL can select the very best trains from manufacturers in China to run on its tracks.
Out of the six trains purchased from CRC, two trains will be allocated for KLIA Ekspres and the remaining four will be for KLIA Transit. Each train set will have four cars and will operate at a cruising speed of 160 kilometres per hour. The trains are expected to be progressively delivered to ERL starting in May 2016. All trains will be operated and maintained by ERL's skilled operations and maintenance subsidiary, ERL Maintenance Support Sdn Bhd (E-MAS).
Meanwhile, Dato' Sri Liow said, "I am pleased to see that since its inception, ERL has consistently delivered dependable service of the highest standards. ERL did not just introduce cutting-edge technology and infrastructure; much more importantly, it introduced a new mindset which its people have applied with success, and values which we as a nation must learn to internalise, such as punctuality, speed, efficiency and dependability." He also commended ERL on its use of open standards as it promotes an open infrastructure and systems, which in turn promote openness and improves connectivity.
The Minister added that as Malaysia's population is expected to hit 35 million by the year 2020, Malaysia will undergo greater urbanization in the upcoming years. Thus, the GTP Urban Public Transport National Key Results Area emphasises the need to raise public transport modal share in urban areas from the current 17% to 25% by 2015; and to 40% modal share by 2030.
About Express Rail Link
Express Rail Link (ERL) is the operator of KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit high-speed train services that connect Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA & KLIA2) and the city. The non-stop 57-km journey on KLIA Ekspres between KL Sentral and KLIA takes only 28 minutes. Passengers can also take a 3-minute ride between KLIA2 and KLIA. The KLIA Transit service stops at three intermediate stations, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya and Salak Tinggi. The total journey time between KL Sentral and KLIA2 is 39 minutes. ERL is proud to have maintained an impeccable 99.7% on-time service performance.
ERL has received numerous awards at the prestigious Global AirRail Awards which included the Best Customer Service Award for KLIA Ekspres VIP Service (2011), Personality of the Year for Noormah Mohd Noor, Chief Executive Officer of ERL (2011), the coveted North Star AirRail Link of the Year (2012) and the Environmental Commitment Award in 2013. ERL was once again named AirRail Link of the Year at the Global AirRail Awards 2014 in Oslo. ERL won the Best Human Capital Management Award (Rail Industry) at the LPT Symposium 2013 Industry Awards and recently won the Best Operator – Intercity & Urban Rail Award LPT Symposium Gala Dinner 2014 awarded by Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD). ERL welcomed its 50 millionth passenger in March 2014.
About Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd
Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd. (CRC), founded in 1954 is the leading IRIS and ISO certified passenger rolling stock manufacturer in China. It is dedicated to passenger railway vehicle engineering, manufacturing and maintenance utilizing its world-class facilities and sophisticated rolling stock expertise. CRC's diversified product portfolio includes metro trains, light rail vehicles, monorail, passenger coaches, commuter trains and high speed trains with service speed ranging from 80kph up to 380kph. CRC's products dominate the majority of the domestic passenger railway vehicle market and additionally, more than 5,000 vehicles are now serving over ten international clients worldwide including Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil and Saudi, Argentina, New Zealand, Thailand, Iran, Ethiopia and many more. CRC was recently awarded 284 cars Red & Orange Line project contract from MBTA Boston in October 2014.
About RAIL BUSINESS ASIA (www.railbusinessasia.org)
RAIL BUSINESS ASIA 2015 co-hosted by Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) is the thought leadership platform of Asia's fast growing rail industry. It is a strategic event dedicated to delivering the latest in market insights, development projects and innovation, as well as in-depth dialogues from authorities, asset owners, operators and solution providers. In addition, the RAIL BUSINESS ASIA 2015 exhibition will showcase the latest technological advancements and provide a hub for networking and knowledge-sharing. RAIL BUSINESS ASIA 2015 is organized by UBM Asia (Malaysia).
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