Prasarana is purchasing 27 new light rail transit (LRT) trains from Bombardier Hartasuma at a cost of RM1.7 billion, The Star reported. The new four-coach trains will be acquired in stages until 2023, and these are meant to replace trains that have been in service for more than 20 years, it said.
“The new trains are meant to accommodate the increase in ridership as we expect an annual increase of 5% to 7%. We hope that with the new trains, the arrival frequency can be reduced from three to 2.5 minutes, Prasarana chairman Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said, noting that Prasarana currently operates 74 four-coach trains and 35 two-coach trains.
The four-coach and two-coach trains have capacities of 700 passengers and 240 passengers respectively. Despite a drop in ridership of 40% with the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) from March 18, chairman Tajuddin is optimistic that passenger volumes will increase within two months.
The group’s busiest transit line, the Kelana Jaya line from Gombak to Putra Heights, accommodated 300,000 passengers daily before the MCO. According to Tajuddin, Prasarana recorded RM59 million in profits last year, an increase from RM21 million recorded in 2018.
Meanwhile, the construction of Prasarana’s new headquarters in Lembah Subang is to be reviewed, the chairman said. “I will discuss the matter with the management as it is unsuitable to have the headquarters located so far away from the capital city. We will still ensure the ongoing project will be completed, but we will identify a different use for it,” he said.
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pricing wise we can get Bombadier Global 5000 jets @USD 20M each. The 4 coaches train is slightly cheaper than a jet
So how many people can fit into that Bombardier jet as compared to a Bombardier train again?
I didn’t hear anything about LRT/Tram/Monorail in Penang? Is it all cancelled?
In Europe, the typical life span of a rolling stock or train is 25 years, if maintained properly. At 20 years, these trains receive major re-builds, and can be extended by another 10 years.
Turkey buys 20 year old trains from Russia, rebuilds them at a fraction of the cost, and runs it for 15 years.
We built the LRT stage 1 in 1998 (completed for the Commonwealth Games). Less than 25 years later, we bought brand new trains a few years ago, and now this one as well.
Prasarana will never be a world class company.
Turkey just ordered 12 new “Velaro TR” trainsets from Siemens (they have 17 already, ordered in 2013 and 2015). Where you got this from that they buy second hand from Russia?
“Turkey buys 20 year old trains from Russia, rebuilds them at a fraction of the cost, and runs it for 15 years.”
Totally nonsense! Russia uses the russian broad gauge (1520mm), while Turkey uses the standard gauge (1435mm). Russian trains cannot drive on turkish tracks!