[UPDATED] KTM clarifies no passengers left stranded in ETS glitch incident

GEORGE TOWN – Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTM) has clarified that no passengers of the Electric Train Service (ETS) ride from KL Sentral to Butterworth were stranded when the service broke down at Bukit Mertajam, the second-last stop of the journey, last Sunday.

A spokesman with its corporate communications division told The Vibes that while the ETS train did break down around 8.30pm Sunday, KTM organised a stage-coach ride to ferry those affected to Butterworth.

“We did not abandon any passengers. It took us a few hours to organise a bus ride because it happened on a Sunday and in the middle of the night,” the spokesman said.

The ETS numbered EP9178 had left KL Sentral at 3.55pm and was scheduled to reach Butterworth by 8.07pm, but just before the final stop it suffered a power outage.

“It took us several minutes to figure out what had transpired,” the spokesman said.

KTM informed the affected passengers that an alternative transport was being arranged, but some passengers could not wait and found their own way home.

About 80 passengers who waited were ferried to the final stop at Butterworth.

Earlier, KTM board chairman Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir made an apology for the incident.

Musa said that he will order an investigation into the incident, adding that KTM took note of passengers having to book e-hailing services to reach their destinations.

The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth on the ETS takes four hours on average.

An affected passenger said that those onboard did not have options apart from waiting in the carriages or making their own arrangements.

“The train was also full, so it was an unpleasant surprise. KTM needs to improve its service,” the passenger said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, KTM said it had deployed its technicians following the ETS service disruption and were only able to identify the root cause at 10.46pm.

The railway company identified that it was due to a cable which fell on the ETS’ overhead line. 

Following which, KTM then issued a notice on its official Facebook page to notify affected passengers.  

“We also arranged for six buses at midnight to transfer all our affected passengers comprising four buses for ETS passengers and two buses for KTM Komuter passengers to the Butterworth station.” 

Normal service resumed at 4.45pm on Monday. – The Vibes, June 17, 2022