SEPANG: The aerotrain replacement programme at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is expected to be completed in 2025, said Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
Its managing director Datuk Iskandar Mizal Mahmood said the programme involves nine aerotrains worth some RM700 million and will be implemented in two phases involving design and construction works.
“The new aerotrain will have a robust system, flexible design for future growth and new features for greater comfort, It can carry 90 passengers per car, 270 passengers per train and 5,400 passengers per hour per direction.
“The design work, which started in March 2022 and will run until March 2023, is when multiple stakeholder engagements are conducted to ensure that the new aerotrain system meets both local and international transport and safety standards, while the construction of the new aerotrain will begin from March 2023 until March 2025,” he said in a media briefing here today.
Iskandar said within the three-year transition period, the current aerotrain will run on a limited schedule to enable a more robust maintenance regime due to its ageing condition and to facilitate the replacement programme.
He said that an enhanced bus service is being implemented to facilitate passenger movements between the main terminal building and the satellite building at KLIA.
“We seek the public’s understanding and patience during this time as there will be some inconvenience to passengers. To minimise any inconvenience, we have enhanced our round-the-clock bus service to facilitate passenger movements,” he said.
Asked why MAHB decided to embark on the replacement programme this year and not earlier, Iskandar said it was not an easy decision to make with many robust processes to go through.
“We need to hear from every stakeholder, we need to ensure that the technology is the right technology.
“We need to ensure that the financing model is the right model,” he said.
Iskandar said in line with the International Air Transport Association’s forecast that the overall passenger numbers would exceed pre-pandemic levels of four billion in 2024, MAHB would be ready to handle strong passenger demand at KLIA with the aerotrain replacement programme.
Meanwhile, MAHB chairman Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said the current aerotrain system has been in operation for the last 24 years, since the opening of KLIA in 1998.
“We are not only replacing the trains but the entire track system. This will also effectively enhance KLIA’s reputation as one of the world’s best airports,” he said. – Bernama