Express Rail Link (ERL) has announced that its KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit trains will stop operating from June 4, which is tomorrow. The city-to-airport trains will remain grounded “until further notice”.
ERL says that the temporary suspension is in view of the total lockdown directive from the government and follows consultations with the transport ministry and the land public transport agency (APAD).
With air travel no longer what it used to be, ERL’s business has become unsustainable. The company explained that more than one year after the first outbreak of Covid-19, there are limited commuters and “virtually no air travellers using the train services”.
ERL’s average daily ridership dropped by 69% in 2020 compared to 2019, which now seems like a previous lifetime. With the start of the total lockdown on June 1, average daily ridership plunged a further 89% compared to 2020 levels. Compared to pre-Covid days, that’s a 97% drop.
“We regret the inconvenience to your travel plans and commuting needs. Please arrange for alternative transportation to your destination during this period,” it added. Click on the image above to see the list of alternative ways to get to the airport, should you need to do so.
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Express Rail Link (ERL) should demand compensation plus subsidy for huge biz losses incurred from Govt and Prasarana. Since their business has become unsustainable. ERL is not a public transport charity organization. Or full blown Staff retrenchment and service reduction is inevitable..
They have to manage it just like every other businesses, ERL main customer base after all is thru air travel so they can use their profitable cash reserve to tide for the current moment.
inb4 proton, mas & bank bumiputracommerce Billion bailouts. how come we seeing Double stended agains
All those are Gahmen GLC entities unlike ERL brother. Gahmen have no obligations to help private companies.
Syukurr Gahmen helped private companies too. Rakyat didahulukan…
proton – Owned by DRB
mas – owned by Naluri Bhd.
bank bumiputracommerce – owned by
Commerce-Asset Holdings Bhd (CAHB)
Trying to bend history?
Proton- assisted when owned by PNB
MAS- assisted when owned by Khazanah
Bumiputera- assisted when owned by Ministry of National and Rural Development
The company managing erl is being awarded to do so with a payment. Any problem encountered either financially or technically, they should come up with a mitigation and not demand compensation due to no income.
With their fare structure, how could they ever be sustainable? Grab is more convenient, cheaper regardless how you look at it.
If you bought your air ticket during promo, the train fare would cost more than flight.