KLIA Ekspres

The KLIA Ekspres is an express airport rail link servicing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, to KLIA's Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations. The line is one of the two services on the Express Rail Link (ERL) system, sharing the same tracks as the KLIA Transit. The KLIA Transit stops at all stations along the line, whereas the KLIA Ekspres runs as a direct non-stop express service between KL Sentral and KLIA Terminal 1 and 2. It is operated by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. (ERL).

The line is one of the components of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. It is numbered 6 and coloured purple on official transit maps.

Line information

KLIA Ekspres serves three stations. The service runs non-stop from KL Sentral to KLIA's Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations, skipping the three KLIA Transit stops in between.

At KL Sentral, the two platforms of the ERL are accessed from different parts of the station building. The KLIA Ekspres side platforms are accessed from the KL City Air Terminal (KL CAT) while the KLIA Transit island platform is accessed from the main Transit Concourse at Level 1. At KLIA T1 and T2, both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit share the same island platform for both north-bound and south-bound trains.

At KLIA T1 station, KLIA Ekspres uses the same platform for Terminal 2- or city-bound trains. Displays are installed at the platform to indicate the travelling direction of the approaching train.

Extension

A extension to the new terminal was completed in 2013. Commercial service began on 1 May 2014, when KLIA2 opened. Inter-terminal travel time from KLIA Main Terminal to the new terminal is 3 minutes with a fare of RM2.

Rolling stock

Since the opening of the railway in 2002, the fleet consists of 12 4-car electric trainset from Siemens, Germany, on which 8 trainsets were allocated to KLIA Ekspres service. The trainset, named Siemens Desiro ET425M, has a top speed of 200 km/h with commercial speed of 160 km/h. This KLIA Ekspres trains has more seating than KLIA Transit trains for passenger comfort, and each train includes luggage racks beside the doors and overhead racks along the coach, along with Wi-Fi onboard. The trainset also includes VIP seatings for VIP service and toilets at the first car of the train. Luggage area for check-in flight luggages at KL City Air Terminal also included at the end cab on KL Sentral direction.

To increase frequency of the line, eight new 4-car electric trainsets were brought from CRRC Changchun, in which two trainsets were allocated on KLIA Ekspres service. The trainset, nicknamed Equator, is much different from the first-generation train, which lacked toilets and luggage areas. The trainsets arrived in October 2016, with commercial operation started in March 2017.

History

Accidents

On 24 August 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 9:45 pm for Kuala Lumpur International Airport while the other train, which was empty, rammed into its rear.

Suspension in 2020 to 2022

On 4 April 2020, due to the Malaysian movement control order, which resulted in a significant reduction in ridership, all ERL rail services were temporarily suspended. Limited ERL services recommenced on 4 May 2020 with KLIA Transit service patterns.

Service resumption

KLIA Ekspres service resumed on 3 January 2023. Since 1 August 2023, KLIA Ekspres trains operate at a frequency of 20 minutes on all days.

Operations

KLIA Ekspres operates between 05:00 and 00:00 daily. Trains depart every 20 minutes on all days, taking 30 minutes to travel between KL Sentral and KLIA Terminal 1, and another 3 minutes between KLIA Terminal 1 and KLIA Terminal 2.

During scheduled engineering works, KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit run as a combined service, stopping at all KLIA Transit stations.

Ticketing

Tickets can be purchased from the ticketing office, at the automated ticketing machines, from KLIA Ekspres website or via the KLIA Ekspres mobile app. A one-way trip between KL Sentral and the airport costs RM55.

There is no free travel between both KLIA terminals. Passengers travelling between both terminals via KLIA Ekspres require a valid ticket.

The validity of purchased tickets is as follows:
*Standard One-Way Ticket: ''3 months''
*Standard Two-Way Ticket:
**First trip - ''3 months''
**Second trip - ''3 months after the first trip''

Electronic Payment

Passengers holding AMEX, JCB, Mastercard, Visa, UnionPay contactless cards and Touch 'n Go cards may pay directly at the fare gates without the need to purchase a separate ticket.

Touch 'n Go cards require a minimum balance of RM20.

Air travel facilities

As of 2024, check-in facilities at Kuala Lumpur Sentral station are available for Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia and Cathay Pacific passengers only.

Passenger service and amenities

Passengers with laptops and smartphones have access to a high-speed internet connection free of charge through WiFi on board all KLIA Ekspres trains as well as on the station platforms. The service is powered by Yes 4G of Yes Communications, a subsidiary of the YTL Corporation which holds a 50% share over the train service.

Connection to Subang Airport

As of August 2024, KL Sentral–Terminal Skypark Line services between KL Sentral and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang Airport) remain suspended.

Ridership

On 19 September 2005, the company celebrated its 10 millionth passenger on the KLIA express. The 10 millionth passenger was Emylia Rosnaida who won a business class return trip to New York City from Kuala Lumpur.

The 20 millionth passenger milestone was achieved on 12 December 2007 by Mr Sockalingam, which won economy class ticket to Dubai.

Gallery

File:KL City Air Terminal.jpg, KL City Air Terminal
File:KLIA Express entry at KLIA.JPG, klia2 ERL station entrance at klia2
File:KLIA Express X1-02.jpg, KLIA Exspres Siemens ET425M EMU Train at Bandar Tasik Selatan Station
File:KLIA Express train set X2-10.jpg, KLIA Exspres CRRC Changchun Equator EMU Train at Bandar Tasik Selatan Station

See also

* Express Rail Link
** KLIA Transit
* Public transport in Kuala Lumpur

References

External links

KLIA Ekspres – official websiteKLIA Express - Fastest Airport Transfer in Kuala Lumpur

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klia Ekspres
2002 establishments in Malaysia
Express Rail Link
Railway services introduced in 2002
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
25 kV AC railway electrification