In service 1994 - Current Capacity 414 (224 seats) | Formation 3 per trainset Operator(s) Keretapi Tanah Melayu | |
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Manufacturer Jenbacher Transport
(designed by Hunslet TPL) Number built 54 cars (18 sets) (14 sets retired and abandoned, 4 sets refurbished) | ||
The Class 81 is the first and oldest type of electric multiple unit introduced by Keretapi Tanah Melayu for its KTM Komuter service. 18 sets were designed by Hunslet TPL and built by Jenbacher Transport and were delivered in stages. The class 81 currently operates in a fixed 3-car formation for its regular service. During the 1995-1999 period it used to operate at peak hours in a 3+3 car formation. But this configuration was soon discontinued. Briefly from 2009-2010, some of the train sets of this class were used in a hybrid diesel pull configuration in which an unpowered EMU would be towed by a diesel locomotive and while it gets electricity from an attached generator wagon.
Contents
The cars have features that resemble passenger carriages on existing intercity services, such as single-leaf doors, luggage racks and transverse seating. During the overhaul drive 2008, it was seen that a number of class 81's were refurbished such that there would be larger standing areas near the doors while enlarging the narrow bottle-necking corridors surrounding the doors. The Class 81 is now operated with a designated female coach at the middle (or second car) of the train set.
The KTM class 81 design is derived from the proven British Rail Class 323, with the main alteration being that it has single leaf swing-plug doors instead of a double leaf type.
Description
The rolling stock consists of three versions of three-car EMUs added over the course of three years, beginning in 1994. The EMUs were the first in KTM's history. All Komuter EMUs operate in multiple-unit formation, running from overhead single-phase 25 kV AC 50 Hz catenary supply, with two driving cars and 1 - 3 trailer cars in between. The EMUs were state-of-the-art, with remote-controlled pneumatic doors, Automatic Train Protection (ATP), train data recorder, wheel-slip control, GTO/IGBT traction electronics and regenerative braking. Up to the point of their introduction no other KTM motive power used these modern train control systems.
Designated by KTM as "Class 8x"s, the EMUs wear a yellow, blue and grey livery, a departure from the predominantly grey livery that KTM adopted on other locomotives and passenger coaches at the time. A handful of EMUs include full advertisements on the sides of their cars.
The original Komuter fleet consisted of the following models:
Refurbishing
On late 2013, the Seremban-Gemas Electrified Double Tracking Project was completed. However, there were not enough ETS trainsets that can be used to serve the track. As a result, a few of the Class 81 has been refurbished with a new livery. One of the trainset that was refurbished was EMU 14. The middle coach has a surau in it. An LCD TV was also added to each end of the coach.
Service History
The class 81 currently operates in a fixed 3-car formation for its regular service. During the 1995-1999 period it used to operate at peak hours in a 3+3 car formation. But this configuration was soon discontinued.
Briefly from 2009-2010, some of the train sets of this class were used in a hybrid diesel pull configuration in which an unpowered EMU would be towed by a diesel locomotive and while it gets electricity from an attached generator wagon. Dubbed the KTM "Hybrid" trains it serviced both KLS-Rawang and Kajang-Rawang routes.
The arrival of the KTM Class 92 in 2012 resulted in retirement of the KTM class 81, with now many brought down to Sentul workshops, to be refurbished and converted into inter-regional sets.