KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 – Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) will offer a record 1.57 million seats on its Electric Train Service (ETS) and Ekspres Rakyat Timuran (ERT) from January to March 2027.
The total of 1,573,872 seats represents a 39 per cent increase from the same period in 2026. The additional capacity aims to give passengers more travel options during school holidays, public holidays and festive seasons.
KTMB said ticket sales for January and February 2027 journeys will open at noon on Nov 2. Tickets for March travel will be available from Dec 1.
ETS and ERT Seat Allocation
Of the total seats available, 1,520,592 are allocated to ETS services, while 53,280 are for ERT services.
KTMB said the increase reflects its efforts to meet growing demand for rail travel.
The company also expects ETS passenger numbers to rise by 6.5 per cent in 2027, reaching 6.28 million passengers compared with 5.9 million projected for 2026.
More Frequent ETS Services in 2027
To meet the expected increase in demand, KTMB plans to run more ETS services next year.
From 2027, the number of daily services will increase from 44 to 50 from Monday to Thursday. From Friday to Sunday, the number will rise to 58 services a day.
The Johor Bahru–Kuala Lumpur route will also see more services. Trains operating between JB Sentral and KL Sentral will increase from eight to 12 daily services.
These changes are expected to give passengers more departure options, especially during weekends and peak travel periods.
Two More ETS Hubs to Improve Access
KTMB will also introduce Old Kuala Lumpur Station and Subang Jaya Station as additional ETS hubs.
The move will provide passengers with more boarding options. It is also intended to help ease congestion at KL Sentral during busy periods.
Long-Distance Passengers Must Change Trains
KTMB will revise its long-distance ETS timetable from Jan 1, 2027. Some routes will no longer offer direct journeys on the same train.
The affected routes are:
- JB Sentral–Butterworth
- JB Sentral–Padang Besar
- Butterworth–Segamat
Passengers travelling on these routes in either direction will need to change trains at KL Sentral.
For now, passengers must buy separate tickets for each part of these journeys. KTMB is upgrading its booking system to support a single transaction for connecting journeys from December.
Passengers should check both train schedules and allow enough time to transfer at KL Sentral before completing their bookings.
How to Buy KTMB Train Tickets
KTMB encourages passengers to book early, particularly for long-distance travel and peak periods.
Tickets can be purchased through the KITS Style app or the official KTMB website.
Passengers should also check the latest schedules before travelling, especially if their journey requires a train change at KL Sentral.
Source: BERNAMA | Rewritten By Minutesmy
