Ministry Of Transport Set Ambitious Plans To Link Malaysia, China Via Rail Service

The Malaysian Transport Ministry intends to build a rail network connecting Malaysia and China, most likely connecting Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru to Kunming. Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated that the ambitious rail network would require additional collaboration from Thailand and Laos to discuss ways to collaborate in the construction of a railway connecting the two countries. "Building this network is feasible, and I call upon the Chinese government to assist in facilitating these exchanges. "And, hopefully, China can play an important role in persuading other countries, such as Laos and Thailand, to allow for seamless rail services between Southeast Asia and China one day.

"This collaboration excites me. It is used not only for freight transportation but also for passenger train service between Malaysia and China "He made the remarks yesterday at the launch of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd's (KTMB) first rail-sea service in collaboration with Cosco Shipping Lines.

KTMB has announced a collaboration with Cosco Shipping Lines, a China-based shipping company headquartered in Shanghai, to provide customers with faster and more efficient goods transportation solutions through KTM Kargo.

This new collaboration will link major inland points to seaports throughout Malaysia's peninsular region, providing a more stable, cost-effective, and convenient trade route for import and export goods. Loke stated that this would reduce transit time to four days and be cost-effective for all import and export customers in Malaysia's inland areas, while also boosting economic growth and investment opportunities. He stated that the service is expected to begin this month, with a monthly capacity of 400 waggons or 800 twenty-foot equivalent units.

"Starting from Penang Port, Port Klang and Padang Besar, the real-sea service will expand to Pasir Gudang and Ipoh in the future.

"Moving forward, I am confident that more partners, including road hauliers, port operators, freight forwarders, intermodal terminal operators, and third-party logistics providers, will join forces to provide seamless delivery services," he added.

Source: NST