Sunday, December 12, 2010

KTMB receive a 40 years old train coach from Japan: Looks like we are 40 years lagging from Japan...

40 Years old coach from Japan to be used here? so unreasonable.... sigh...

http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/KTMBterima14kocdaripadasyarikatJepun/Article

KTMB terima 14 koc daripada syarikat Jepun


2010/12/09
PELABUHAN KLANG: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) hari ini menerima 14 koc kereta api sumbangan JR Kyushu dan JR West, sebuah syarikat dari Jepun.

Pengurus Kanan Unit Komunikasi Korporat KTMB, Mohd Fazil Ismail, berkata koc terpakai itu akan digunakan untuk perjalanan ke pantai timur dan selatan tanah air bermula Jun depan.
"Walaupun usia koc ini hampir 40 tahun namun jurutera KTMB yang dihantar ke Jepun Disember tahun lalu mengesahkan ia masih berada dalam keadaan baik dan boleh digunakan untuk perkhidmatan di negara kita.
"Semua 14 koc yang diterima ini merangkumi bahagian tempat duduk, katil dan kabin keretapi iaitu yang paling lama digunakan sejak 1972 dan terbaru pada 1980," katanya kepada pemberita ketika meninjau ketibaan koc keretapi itu, di sini hari ini.

Mohd Fazil berkata, koc berkenaan dijangka mampu beroperasi bagi jangka masa antara 10 hingga 15 tahun lagi.

Beliau berkata, penambahan koc berkenaan dijangka dapat memberi ruang tambahan kepada 600 penumpang setiap hari dengan kutipan sehari dianggar mencapai RM23,000.

Katanya, kos penghantaran koc itu ditanggung oleh KTMB iaitu sebanyak RM3.8 juta.
"Semua koc ini akan melalui proses pengubahsuaian bagi membolehkan ia digunakan di landasan tolok satu meter di Malaysia berbanding di Jepun yang menggunakan 'narrow gauge'," katanya.

Beliau berkata, syarikat pengendali tersebut menawarkan koc terbabit kepada KTMB hasil kerjasama kedua-dua syarikat yang telah sekian lama terjalin menerusi pelbagai program termasuk pertukaran pekerja yang diadakan setiap tahun.

Selain Malaysia, syarikat pengendali itu turut memberikan koc keretapi kepada negara lain seperti Thailand, Myanmar dan Filipina. - BERNAMA

Malacca's monorail service... another project goes to drain

Barely 2 months in services, the Melaka's monorail project facing so much problems and stop its' operation.
Looks like not the tourist inside the monorail can have a sightseeing, but the people outside the monorail can watch them inside instead...

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/12/11/nation/7601872&sec=nation

Saturday December 11, 2010 - The Star
Malacca's monorail service comes to a stop
By ALLISON LAI
malacca@thestar.com.my


MALACCA: Barely two months after its grand launch to mark Malacca’s developed state status, the city’s RM15.9mil monorail line has ground to a halt owing to a host of problems.

Launched on Oct 20, the monorail has been idle for a month after developing problems with its wheels and software system.

The China-made monorail line, spanning 1.6km from Taman Rempah in Pengkalan Rama to Kampung Bunga Raya Pantai along the Malacca River, is part of the state’s aim to tap the potential of the river as a tourist attraction.

Project under scrutiny: The monorail line is part of Malacca’s aim to tap the potential of the river as a tourist attraction.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had launched the system to mark the recognition of Malacca as a developed state, 10 years ahead of the national Vision 2020.

Hours after the launch, however, a coach with some 20 passengers stalled about 100m from the Hang Jebat station.

Operator Menara Taming Sari Sdn Bhd used a skylift to rescue the stranded passengers.

The project is a joint venture between the Malacca Historic City Council and state subsidiary Kumpulan Melaka Bhd and Agibs Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd.

The Tourism Ministry has approved an additional RM13.2mil for the monorail phase two extension project under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

On Thursday, a visibly upset Mohd Ali said four engineers from China were trying to iron out the problems affecting the monorail.

“Some screws keep breaking and the rims of the wheels had to be replaced.

“We hope the engineers will be able to fix it within a week,” he told reporters after closing a refresher course for National Service trainers at Permata Resort Camp in Alor Gajah.

He said if the monorail continued to face problems, the state government would not buy additional monorails from China for the proposed extension project and would, instead, source them from Europe.

Menara Taming Sari chief executive officer Nazry Ahmad admitted the monorail had been out of service due to “several technical and mechanical problems”.

“We have been facing problems with the monorail on and off since it was launched. It is now closed to the public,” he said yesterday.