Rail network is safe although KVDT2 project still up in the air — KTMB

KUALA LUMPUR (Jun 23): Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) has given the assurance that its 265km rail network affected by the Klang Valley Double Tracking (KVDT) rehabilation project is safe and can be used for passengers and freight train operations.

This, it said, is despite the fact that the second phase of the project (KVDT2) — involving two tracks between Salak South and Seremban, and between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and Port Klang — is still in the process of retendering by the Transport Ministry.

In a statement today, the national rail operator said it will continue with the infrastructure maintenance for the routes involved in KVDT2 on a weekly basis.

"Although the project is temporarily halted, KTMB will not use that as an excuse to not take action in ensuring the railway network is in good condition to guarantee the safety and comfort of passengers," said KTMB chief technical officer Ahmad Nizam Mohamed Amin.

"What differentiates the current situation and the completion of the KVDT2 project is that the maintenance work carried out by KTMB right now is on a small scale, that is, according to certain locations that need more attention, and it is more of a short-term solution," he added.

According to KTMB, passenger and cargo services have been severely affected since the commencement of KVDT1 and KVDT2  where train operations on several lines are limited to a single track, resulting in reduced train frequency and increased travel duration. As a result, the number of KTM Komuter passengers has shown a significant decrease from 136,375 in 2015 to 65,627 in 2019.

"KTMB hopes that the KVDT2 project will be resumed immediately to ensure the safety of train services and reduce the travel time of passenger and cargo services. If both factors can be achieved, KTMB will be able to provide efficient services for passenger and cargo services," Ahmad Nizam added.

The KVDT2 contract was first awarded to Syarikat Dhaya Maju LTAT Sdn Bhd — an 80:20 joint venture between privately held construction company Dhaya Maju Infrastructure (Asia) Sdn Bhd and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) — by the previous Barisan Nasional government in April 2018. At the time, the contract was valued at RM5.265 billion.

Subsequently, the contract was terminated by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in September 2019 due to its high cost and the manner in which it was awarded via direct negotiation. A fresh tender was to be called, but it never came.

However, the PH administration subsequently reappointed the company to continue with the project at a lower contract sum and a reduced scope. The reappointment was also said to mitigate any legal implications of the contract termination to the government.

The coming to power of the Perikatan Nasional government saw current Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong again terminate the contract and subsequently reopen the tender for KVDT2 after a study found that the cost of the project would be a lot less than what Dhaya Maju LTAT would charge.

This resulted in Dhaya Maju LTAT filing a judicial review application last September, seeking a declaration that the decision to cancel the KVDT2 project and subsequently to reopen the tender for the project was invalid.

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