Ipoh - KL in 3 Hours – Big Deal! | ** An Anonymous Journal **

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Ipoh - KL in 3 Hours – Big Deal!

NST today carried a news report regarding the launch of Ipoh - Kuala Lumpur rail service by KTM Berhad on 1st December, 2008. As a resident of Ipoh, of course this article interests me.

However, I am disappointed that this is not the high speed double track Ipoh - Rawang rail service that has been promised us since 2006, or earlier, I can't remember.

This report says that KTM Berhad is awaiting newer rail coaches from Korea in 2010, and maybe THEN, we will be getting the high speed service? Will we also have to make nine stops in between then?

Right now, with a trip from Ipoh Railway Station to KL Sentral taking approximately three hours, it is not viable to "live in Ipoh, work in KL." Sure, one could travel in such a manner weekly, but I don't see people doing this daily. With 24 hours a day, spending 6 - 7 hours a day commuting to and from work and pulling a full day at work, five times a week, I think only tin men would be able to do it.

Yes, Ipoh folks are dying for rail and air services; this is landlocked Kinta Valley we are talking about. BUT we want fast, quality service with a reasonable fare and not the three hour journeys that I took when I was a kid. It's now almost 2009 and I am looking for an improvement. I wonder if the rides will be as bumpy as I remember them to be.

0 comments:

Post a Comment