Kuala lumpur: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) is making history this Aidilfitri season by providing a record-breaking 251,752 seats through its Electric Train Service (ETS) and KTM Intercity services. This move marks the largest capacity offering in the company's operating history.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the increased capacity is facilitated by 228 additional train trips scheduled from March 17 to 29. This represents a 113 percent increase compared to the 118,440 seats available last year. Loke attributed this expansion to the delivery of 10 new ETS3 train sets, which, along with existing ETS sets, enable KTMB to optimize service capacity for those traveling to their hometowns during the festive season.

Of the additional trips, 196 will be for ETS services, while 32 will be for EMU Plus services. The frequency of these services will also see a significant boost, with operations increased to 64 trips per day and near 24-hour availability during peak periods. Loke highlighted that the addition of 196 ETS trips this year marks a near 250 percent increase compared to the 56 additional trips offered last year, demonstrating KTMB's commitment to making public transport more accessible and comfortable.

Loke revealed that as of 9 am today, 177,796 scheduled ETS tickets have been sold, representing 99 percent of the available tickets. However, there are still 34,964 additional ETS tickets and 5,912 EMU Plus tickets up for grabs. The Ekspres Rakyat Timuran (ERT) service on the JB Sentral-Tumpat route has also seen an increase in capacity, with four extra coaches added to accommodate 13,910 seats, 95 percent of which have already been sold.

Further enhancing their service offerings, KTMB is introducing the Ekspres Lambaian Aidilfitri (ELA) service for the East Coast and Northern editions, a strategic move to cater to the high public demand during this festive period.