Express Rail Link

Background

Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. (ERL) is a joint venture company between YTL Corporation Bhd., Lembaga Tabung Haji and Trisilco Equity Sdn. Bhd. with each partner holding 50%, 40% and 10% of the company respectively. On the 25th of August 1997, the Malaysian government presented the company with a 30-year concession to finance, build, maintain and control the operations of the railway.

Construction began in May 1997 and was completed 5 years later. It was then handed over to SYZ consortium, a joint relations consortium between German and Malaysian companies consisting of Siemens AG, Siemens Electric Engineering Sdn. Bhd and Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay Sdn. Bhd (SPYTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of YTL Corporation Bhd.

ERL Maintenance and Support was set up in 1999 and is responsible for the operations and maintenance of trains owned by ERL. The company was initially a joint venture between Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. and Siemens AG, but since June 2005 it has been wholly owned by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd.

The 1997 financial crisis that hit Asia caused a brief setback to the project but due to strong governmental support, the project went on to completion. The project raked up a cost of RM2.4 billion which was financed through equity mergers (RM500 million), loans from Development and Infrastructure Bank of Malaysia (RM940 million) and the remainder through import credit from four German financial institutions.

Unit / Subsidaires

ERL Maintenance Support Sdn Bhd, or E-MAS, is ERL’s operations and maintenance (O&M) subsidiary. E-MAS had working together with CRCC since 2012 on the operation & maintenance of Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro Southern Line which their 13 employees were selected for the first outing in 2012 and another 29 employees were sent in 2013. In 2014 Hajj sesason, ERL has been working with Prasarana Malaysia to help fulfil CRCC’s manpower requirement.

Major facilities

Rolling stock

Both the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit use a total of 12 four-car Desiro ET 425 M electric multiple unit (EMU) trainsets by Siemens AG: The trains run at a maximum commercial speed at 160 km/h, the fastest speed for rail travel in Malaysia.

On 27 November 2014, Express Rail Link signs deal for six new trains with Changchun Railway for Purchase of 4-cars 6 trainset to cater to the ridership growth of both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services. ERL currently has 12 trains, of which eight are operating on the KLIA Ekspres and four on KLIA Transit. Of the six new trains, two will be used for KLIA Ekspres and four for KLIA Transit. Delivery of the six new trains will be made progressively from May 2016 onwards, after which testing will be done. ERL expects all six trains to be operational by November 2016.

Accidents

On August 24, 2010, Express Rail Link suffered their first reported accident in which 3 passengers were injured. Two ERL trains collided at Kuala Lumpur Sentral, Of the trains involved one of them was about to depart at 9.45pm for Kuala Lumpur International Airport while the other train, which was empty, rammed into its rear.

Expansion

A 2.14 km extension to the new KLIA2 terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been completed. Commercial service commenced on 1 May 2013.