More pointedly, Ahmad Nizam highlighted that there are plans in place to resume a direct service between Butterworth in Penang to Bangkok. The service was previously suspended in December 2016.
“This year we are looking to resume operations by working with our counterpart rail operators in Thailand (State Railway of Thailand) to revive the Bangkok to Butterworth service, and this still needs agreements from both parties,” he said.
Ahmad Nizam added that the service will include advancing double-tracking projects which will boost speed of travel and implementing integrated ticket systems.
Rail expert Nor Aziati Abdul Hamid told CNA that KTM’s plans to integrate Malaysia’s freight rail network with neighbours in the north is a “shrewd move” as it can facilitate the smooth movement of logistics with economic powerhouse China, adding that the integration also serves as a trade gateway to central Asia and Europe.
She said that these are plans in place under the Pan-Asia Railway Network, an agreement signed in 2006 which aims to connect Kunming in China’s Yunnan province all the way to Singapore, passing through Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia.
Nor Aziati, who is a senior researcher at the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn’s Centre of Excellence for Rail Industry (ICoE-Rail), stressed that making this a reality is especially important in the current trade climate with the US under President Donald Trump imposing protectionistic measures.
“Malaysia and other ASEAN countries must find other avenues for trade and if we have a stronger rail integration with China and other Asian countries, this could be an important avenue,” she said.
Nor Aziati added that enhancing cargo transport links is an area that would also boost KTM’s revenue and profitability in the short term.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-ktm-rail-services-ceo-ahmad-nizam-mohamed-amin-butterworth-bangkok-5321871
