KenaSaman.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana) will replace its current two-car trains with new four-car trains for the KL Monorail line service.

The agreement was signed on Nov 30 with Scomi Rail Bhd, which will provide the 12 trains that can ferry 6,400 passengers per hour in a single direction.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, who was present at the signing, said the monorail service was currently operating 35% above its intended capacity.

He said the Government decided to double the capacity of the monorail fleet within two years with the new trains as it had foreseen the service risks operating 85% over capacity in the next few years.

Kong said the first 10 trains would begin operating in November next year while the remaining two would be available for service in July 2013.

Under the contract worth RM494mil, Scomi Rail will also upgrade the monorail stations, electrical and mechanical systems, and construct a new depot to accommodate the expected increase in ridership and length of the new trains.

Scomi Group chief executive officer Shah Hakim Zain said the entire project would be completed in July 2013.

Prasarana group managing director Datuk Shahril Mokhtar said commuters could expect shorter travel times once the new trains were operational as they were better designed in terms of performance and efficiency.

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