Johor bahru: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) Electric Train Service 3 (ETS3) for the KL Sentral-Johor Bahru route is expected to commence operations this December 12, as announced by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook. The inauguration ceremony for the service is scheduled for December 11, with the ministry seeking the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, to officiate the launch in Johor Bahru.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Loke highlighted that the initial focus of the ETS3 service will be on the Johor Bahru-Kuala Lumpur route to facilitate higher train frequencies compared to longer routes. He explained that longer distances, such as routes to the north, only allow for two trips per day, one in each direction. However, for shorter journeys like Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur, the service can operate more frequently. This was shared during a press conference after the opening of the 2025 Kluang Rail Festival at Laman Rel Mahkota.
The ETS3 route from Kuala Lumpur to Kluang was launched last August. During that event, Sultan Ibrahim personally drove the ETS3 train, which can reach speeds of up to 140 km/h, from KL Sentral to Kluang Station.
On another note, Loke addressed the status of the Automated Transit Flow System (ART) Project, informing that its development is ongoing without delays. The project is currently in the request-for-proposal (RFP) evaluation stage, under refinement by the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) after some proposals failed to meet the required standards. Loke assured that the ministry would collaborate with UKAS to expedite the project's awarding process.
Last Thursday, Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh urged the federal government to accelerate the ART Project, ideally by early next year. He emphasized the project's importance in supporting public transport and streamlining traffic flow, especially in anticipation of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Project's full operation in 2027.