Tuesday January 15, 2008

Restored coaches for railway line

SEPANG: Refurbished coaches will be used for the Rawang to Ipoh electrified double track railway line until new ones arrive.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said about two of the electrical multiple unit (EMU) coaches were being refurbished each month.

The double tracks have been used since the beginning of the month but KTMB is running its normal services and coaches on the electrified tracks.

“The schedule for the normal services and the electrified services will be announced by KTMB later,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing of a partnership agreement between AirAsia and CAE, a world leader in aviation training here yesterday.

CAE will train pilots, maintenance technicians and cabin crews for airlines in Southeast Asia with Kuala Lumpur being CAE’s regional hub for Airbus original equipment manufacturer training.

On the Ipoh-Padang Besar electrified railway project, Chan said Gamuda Bhd and MMC Corp Bhd have started work on the site.

The 329km track is expected to be completed in five years.

On YTL Bhd’s bullet train project from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Chan said: “We are still looking into it.

The bullet train would be broad gauge and travel 350km per hour.”

He denied reports that the Government had dropped the project after AirAsia was given the go-ahead to fly to Singapore.

“These are two different modes of transport; still can complement each other but there is no final decision yet on the project,” he said.

On the general election, Chan said MCA had discussed the party's possible candidates but the list had yet to be finalised.

“Yes, we did discuss the names but nothing has been finalised yet,” he said.

Chan, who is also MCA deputy president, declined to comment on which constituency he planned to contest.

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