The Government is reportedly planning to have multiple rail operators running on the country's interstate railways, saying that the country's rail capabilities will significantly increase once the double-track railway line from Johor Bahru to Padang Besar is finally linked up with the completion of the 200 km stretch between Gemas and JB.
Such a move, if it happens, would break the monopoly currently enjoyed by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), but the main rail operator in the Peninsular says it is ready for the challenge, The Star reports.
Its chairman Datuk Nawawi Ahmad said that there would likely be more rail commuters if the double-track line in the Peninsular is opened up to more players, but said that KTM welcomes the competition and is confident of riding out any challenges posed by having extra players.
"When (only) Malaysia Airlines was around, not many people took airplanes. But when AirAsia came, many people (started to fly), and both companies were able to move forward. So the model that they use can also be used for trains," he told reporters.
Earlier, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi had said that while the government was mulling over opening up the field for the interstate route, it had not yet made the decision on whether there should be multiple operators.
He added that double-tracked routes currently only see a 30% commuter usage rate and hoped that this percentage would increase in the future.
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