RM9 BIL DOUBLE-TRACKING PROJECT — PENNY WISE POUND FOOLISH
Z. IBRAHIM
Klang
I refer to the report stating that the Government now intends to go ahead with the RM9 billion double-track electrified railway which it earlier shelved 3 years ago. That this project is being revived so close to the elections only seems to increase rumors that the ruling party needs the money for the elections in the form of kickbacks. The project itself is poorly thought through.
KTM since British colonial times has been running services on meter-gauge tracks. Meter gauge tracks were basically designed at least during those days for industrial use and in Malaysia’s case — to transport tin.
However we failed to modernize and completely neglected our rail services in favour of road transport and continued using these meter gauges even for our passenger services.
In most parts of the world passenger services started running on standard or broad gauge.
To achieve decent transit times between KL and Penang etc, double tracking on a meter gauge will be slow and clearly will not be competitive.
Obviously this is a half measure as it seems the project is trying to avoid investing in rolling stock as would be the case if standard or broad gauge are adopted instead.
Simply put you cannot run a train fast if your tracks are not broad enough for stability at high speeds. For you to achieve speed and stability you need standard or broad gauge.
Despite double tracking Rawang-KL, Seremban-KL and Port Klang-KL, the services still remain as “commuter services”. Passengers will not hop onto trains if you cannot make KL-Seremban in half an hour. A train ride even from Port Klang to KL easily takes an hour. Even if there were direct Port Klang-KL services I doubt they can do it in half an hour on our meter gauge tracks and signaling systems.
The best-run conventional railway systems are still in India as British Rail almost always fishes technical staff from there. But the current project would be a complete waste of money and is doomed to fail if the meter gauge stays and the entire project at the end of construction risks being obsolete.
While the whole world including India and China moved forward in rail transport, all 1,699 km of Malaysia’s tracks have been narrow gauged which can only support low speed trains. This project does not make sense.