KTMB offers free rides and extended services for Thaipusam

In light of the upcoming Thaipusam festival, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) has announced free rides for Klang Valley KTM commuters on January 24 and 25, with Transport Minister Anthony Loke sharing the details during a press conference at the Batu Caves KTM Station today.

Commuters taking advantage of the complimentary rides are reminded that despite the free service, they must still scan their cards at the automated control gates (ACG) in the stations during the specified period. Minister Loke estimates that approximately 250,000 passengers will utilize the free service, with the peak expected on January 25, the day of Thaipusam.

Enhanced train frequencies and routes

To accommodate the increased passenger load during the festivities, additional KTM Komuter services will operate around the clock from January 23 to 26. Notably, 28 stations will be in operation 24 hours a day during this period, compared to 26 stations the previous year.

For the Batu Caves-Pulau Sebang-Batu Caves route, 33 trains will be available, and 39 trains will operate for the Batu Caves-Port Klang-Batu Caves route. The additional commuter services commence at 9:55 pm from Pulau Sebang to Batu Caves on January 23, with a one-hour train frequency. Similarly, extra services from the Port Klang station to Batu Caves start at 11:39 pm, also with a one-hour frequency.

Minister Loke clarified that no additional train services are scheduled from Tanjung Malim to Batu Caves and vice versa. However, commuters from this route can access the Tanjung Malim station to catch commuter trains to Putra, Bank Negara, Kuala Lumpur, and KL Sentral stations, transferring to KTM Komuter trains bound for Batu Caves.

Electric Train Services (ETS) expansion

In addition to the extended KTM Komuter services, KTMB is offering four additional Electric Train Services (ETS) with 3,150 additional tickets. These services will be available from January 24 to 28, with two services a day for the Butterworth-KL Sentral and KL Sentral-Butterworth routes on January 24 and 25, and two services a day for the Padang Besar-KL Sentral and KL Sentral-Padang Besar routes on January 26 to 28.

Ticket sales for these extra ETS trains will open on Monday, January 15, at noon. Minister Loke encourages commuters to plan their journeys in advance and take advantage of the expanded services provided by KTMB during this festive period.