KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) is aiming for a significant improvement in its On-Time Performance (OTP) as its key short-term target to strengthen public confidence in the nation’s rail services.
KTMB Group chief executive officer Datuk Azlan Shah Al Bakri said the company’s analysis found that the main challenges affecting train punctuality were no longer solely due to the condition of its assets, but were increasingly influenced by cable theft and third-party interference.
He said these two factors, together with floods, fallen trees and utility works carried out near railway tracks, not only caused service delays but also affected the overall reliability of the rail network.
“As a preventive measure, KTMB will continue to strengthen asset monitoring, enhance cooperation with the relevant authorities, and tighten control over third-party activities carried out near railway tracks.
“KTMB will also continue to focus on asset renewal, enhance operational preparedness, and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders to ensure safer, more reliable and punctual services,” he said.
He told reporters this after a Meet the Editor session, which was also attended by Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, here today.
Azlan Shah said that besides improving OTP, KTMB is also focusing on increasing ridership, enhancing service quality, and ensuring its train services become the preferred mode of transport that passengers can truly rely on.
“My primary goal is to see a significant improvement in on-time performance. Beyond that, we want to see a surge in ridership, better services and, most importantly, for KTMB trains to be recognised as a highly reliable mode of transport,” he said.
He said KTMB remains committed to providing the best travel experience for the public and its customers through various improvements, including enhancing the quality of food and beverages on its Electric Train Service (ETS).
Azlan Shah said the strategic collaboration with Santan Restaurant has successfully introduced new menu options that have received positive feedback from passengers.
“The feedback I have received has been very encouraging. Customers have given the food a thumbs-up,” he said.
In an effort to further expand its food and beverage offerings, KTMB is now collaborating with Kluang Coffee to offer beverages to passengers, while the first phase of its partnership with Oriental Coffee is underway to introduce the brand’s beverages on board the ETS.
He said that in the second phase, KTMB plans to hold discussions with Oriental Coffee on introducing the company’s food offerings to the ETS service.
Azlan Shah said he has also encouraged the management team to establish collaborations with well-known local food operators to provide meals for passengers.
In a separate development, he said KTMB is also placing strong emphasis on increasing its non-fare income (NFI) as part of its strategy to strengthen the company’s financial sustainability.
He said non-fare income currently accounts for less than 10 per cent of KTMB’s total revenue, but the company aims to increase the figure to more than 20 per cent to ensure sustainable growth.
Azlan Shah said engineering services, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), facilities management, and overhaul works are among the sources expected to drive growth in non-fare income and generate added value for the company.
