Express Rail Link

Last updated
Express Rail Link
ERL logo.png
KLIAekspres SalakSelatan.jpg
Overview
OwnerExpress Rail Link Sdn Bhd
Locale Klang Valley, Malaysia
Transit type Airport rail link
Number of lines 6 7
Number of stations6
Daily ridership27,307 (2015)
Annual ridership9.967 million (2015) [1]
(Increase2.svg 7.9%)
Website kliaekspres.com
Operation
Began operation14 April 2002;21 years ago (2002-04-14)
Number of vehicles
Technical
System length57 km (35 mi) (total)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead catenary
Average speed176 km/h (109 mph)

The Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd is a company that owns and operates the airport rail link of the same name that connects the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with the Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral) transportation hub, 57 kilometres apart. The company operates two different train services:

Contents

Background

KLIA Ekspres trainset passing Bandar Tasik Selatan station. Bandar Tasik Selatan station (KLIA Transit), Klang Valley.jpg
KLIA Ekspres trainset passing Bandar Tasik Selatan station.

Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. (ERL) is a joint venture company between YTL Corporation Berhad, Lembaga Tabung Haji, SIPP Rail Sdn. Bhd. (a company linked to Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of Johor [2] ) and Trisilco Equity Sdn. Bhd. with each partner holding 45%, 36%, 10% and 9% of the company respectively. On 25 August 1997, the Malaysian government presented the company with a 30-year concession to finance, build, maintain and control the operations of the railway.

Construction began in May 1997 and was completed 5 years later. It was then handed over to SYZ consortium, a joint relations consortium between German and Malaysian companies consisting of Siemens, Siemens Electric Engineering Sdn. Bhd and Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay Sdn. Bhd (SPYTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of YTL Corporation Bhd.

ERL Maintenance and Support was set up in 1999 and is responsible for the operations and maintenance of trains owned by ERL. The company was initially a joint venture between Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. and Siemens, but since June 2005 it has been wholly owned by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. [3]

The 1997 financial crisis that hit Asia caused a brief setback to the project but due to strong governmental support, the project went on to completion. The project racked up a cost of RM2.4 billion which was financed through equity mergers (RM500 million), loans from Development and Infrastructure Bank of Malaysia (RM940 million) and the remainder through import credit [4] from four German financial institutions.

In January 2024, the concession for Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. to operate the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit, which was originally to expire in 2017, was extended for a further 30 years (to 2059), after seven years of negotiations. The revised concession includes the introduction of “market-based”/variable fare pricing (ticket prices are currently fixed) and a profit-sharing mechanism with the government (30% of any additional profit if the rate of return exceeds 10%). However, ERL will no longer receive a share of the Passenger Service Charge paid by all passengers departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. [5]

Units and subsidiaries

ERL Maintenance Support Sdn Bhd, or E-MAS, is ERL's operations and maintenance (O&M) subsidiary. E-MAS had working together with CRCC since 2012 on the operation & maintenance of Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro Southern Line which their 13 employees were selected for the first outing in 2012 and another 29 employees were sent in 2013. In 2014 Hajj season, ERL has been working with Prasarana Malaysia to help fulfil CRCC's manpower requirements. [6]

Major facilities

Rolling stock

Inside the CRRC Changchun ERL Equator EMU used from KLIA Transit. Inside the CRRC Changchun ERL Equator EMU.jpg
Inside the CRRC Changchun ERL Equator EMU used from KLIA Transit.

Both the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit use 12 four-car Siemens Desiro ET 425 M electric multiple unit (EMU) trains. The trains are derived from and technically similar to the DBAG Class 425 used on S-Bahn systems in Germany [7] and run at a maximum commercial speed at 160 km/h, the fastest speed for rail travel in Malaysia.

On 27 November 2014, Express Rail Link ordered from CRRC Changchun six new 4-car trains to cater to the ridership growth of both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services. CRRC's Zhuzhou plant had already supplied rolling stock to the Rapid KL Ampang Line and KTM Komuter. Of the six new trains, two will be used for KLIA Ekspres and four for KLIA Transit. Delivery of the six new trains will be made progressively from May 2016 onwards, after which testing will be done. ERL expects all six trains to be operational by November 2016. [8] [9] [10]

Commercial service commenced on 13 March 2018 using CRRC Changchun Equator EMUs. [11]

Fleet

Line CodeLine NameFormationIn serviceEMU/FleetManufacturers
6 KLIA Ekspres 4 cars EMU
  • 8 trainsets (32 cars)
  • 2 trainsets (8 cars)
7 KLIA Transit 4 cars EMU
  • 4 trainsets (16 cars)
  • 4 trainsets (16 cars)

Ridership

KLIA Express & KLIA Transit Ridership [12] [13]
YearKLIA ExpressKLIA TransitNote
20191,622,2455,015,351Q3 2019
20182,195,3536,540,177
20172,275,6506,443,667
20162,419,8836,485,272
20153,470,7106,496,617
20142,928,3026,310,323
20132,062,2234,374,220
20121,649,4103,713,536
20111,581,4763,236,795
20101,507,5192,626,121
20091,419,8272,441,739
20081,578,7062,508,886
20071,780,3842,449,842
20061,838,7232,369,763
20051,604,4041,829,224
20041,912,3401,734,614
20031,697,574970,598
20021,048,201187,848Opened on 14 April 2002

Accidents

On 24 August 2010, Express Rail Link suffered their first reported accident in which 3 passengers were injured. Two ERL trains collided at Kuala Lumpur Sentral, Of the trains involved one of them was about to depart at 9.45pm for Kuala Lumpur International Airport while the other train, which was empty, rammed into its rear. [14] [15]

Expansion

A 2.14 km extension to the new KLIA2 terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been completed. Commercial service commenced on 1 May 2013. [16]

There are proposals to extend the line with two to four stations to Seremban and Melaka. [17]

Due to automatic termination of Kuala Lumpur–Singapore high-speed rail bilateral agreement after passing postponement deadline on 31 December 2020, the government planned to extend the line until Johor Bahru as an alternative for the cancelled HSR project. [18] [19]

Awards and achievements

YearAwardCategoryResultRef(s)
2014Global AirRail AwardsNorth Star Air Rail Link of the YearWon [20]
2015Global AirRail AwardsNorth Star Air Rail Link of the YearWon [20]
2016Global AirRail AwardsNorth Star Air Rail Link of the YearWon [20]
Social ResponsibilityWon [20]

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References

  1. ↑ "JADUAL 2.9 : BILANGAN PENUMPANG BAGI PERKHIDMATAN SISTEM ALIRAN RINGAN, SUKU KEEMPAT, 2015" [Table 2.9 : Number of Passengers for Light Rail Transit (LRT) Services, Fourth Quarter, 2015](PDF) (in Malay and English). Ministry of Transport, Malaysia. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "SIPP takes 10% stake in ERL ahead of HSR project". The Edge Malaysia. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  3. ↑ Developing local capabilities in Malaysia Archived 2016-04-14 at the Wayback Machine Railway Gazette International April 2006
  4. ↑ "Import Credit Definition from The Free Dictionary".
  5. ↑ "Putrajaya extends ERL concession period by 30 years after seven-year negotiations, says Loke". The Edge Malaysia. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  6. ↑ "ERL Joins Forces with Prasarana to Send Operations Staff to Makkah Metro to Support the 2014 Hajj Season". myrapid.com.my. Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
  7. ↑ Siemens - Express Rail Link Kuala Lumpur Archived 2006-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "Express Rail Link & Changchun Railway Ink Agreement for Purchase of New Trains". prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  9. ↑ "Express Rail Link signs deal for six new trains". globalairrail.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  10. ↑ "ERL buys 6 new trains from China's CRC". myrapid.com.my. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  11. ↑ "Coupled CRRC "Equator EMU" with Self-developed Core Systems Put into Operation Today". crrcgc.cc. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  12. ↑ "Transport Statistics Malaysia 2008" (PDF). Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Statistik Rel". mot.gov.my. Archived from the original on 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  14. ↑ "2 ERLs crash at KL Sentral". Archived from the original on 2010-09-26.
  15. ↑ "2 ERLs crash at KL Sentral, 3 hurt".
  16. ↑ "Express Rail Link Extension to KLIA2". Archived from the original on 2012-11-23. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  17. ↑ "Putrajaya mulls RM8b ERL extension from KLIA to Malacca". Malay Mail. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "PN govt wanted 'direct nego' HSR contracts, says Najib". Free Malaysia Today. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  19. ↑ "Johor chief minister: State govt hopes Malaysia continues HSR project despite termination with S'pore". Today online. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "ERL named 'North Star Air Rail Link of the Year' for third time". New Straits Times. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
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