KTMB offers record 1.57 million ETS, ERT seats for January to March 2027

Ticket sales for ETS and ERT travel between January and February 2027 will open at noon on November 2, while tickets for March 2027 travel will go on sale on December 1. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

First Published: Thursday, 29 Oct 2026 4:27 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) is offering a record 1,573,872 seats for its Electric Train Service (ETS) and Ekspres Rakyat Timuran (ERT) from January to March 2027, a 39 per cent increase over the same period this year.

In a statement today, KTMB said ticket sales for both services will open in stages from November 2, allowing the public to plan travel ahead of school holidays, public holidays and festive seasons.

Ticket sales for ETS and ERT travel between January and February 2027 will open at noon on November 2, while tickets for March 2027 travel will go on sale on December 1.

According to the statement, of the total seats on offer, 1,520,592 are allocated to ETS and 53,280 to ERT.

“The figure exceeds the 1,131,500 seats offered for the same period in 2026, making it the highest number KTMB has ever provided for the first three months of the following year,” the statement read.

“This increase in capacity reflects KTMB’s ongoing efforts to provide more travel options to meet the needs of rail service users,” it said.

ETS ridership is projected to grow 6.5 per cent to 6.28 million passengers in 2027 from 5.9 million this year, matching the capacity increase.

With demand rising, KTMB will increase ETS service frequency in 2027 from 44 scheduled services a day in 2026 to 50 services a day from Monday to Thursday and 58 services a day from Friday to Sunday, an increase of between six and 14 services a day.

The higher frequency also covers the JB Sentral- KL Sentral- JB Sentral route, where services will rise from eight to 12 a day.

The move is expected to offer passengers more schedule options, particularly on weekends and during peak seasons.

In addition, KTM announced that the Old Kuala Lumpur Station and Subang Jaya Station will become additional ETS hubs, widening rail access and offering alternative stations to ease congestion at KL Sentral during peak hours and busy seasons.

In a related move, KTMB will restructure its long-distance ETS timetable from Jan 1, 2027, affecting several routes linking the northern and southern sectors of the network.

“Direct through-travel on the same train for the JB Sentral-Butterworth, JB Sentral-Padang Besar and Butterworth-Segamat routes, and in the reverse direction, will no longer be offered. Passengers on these routes must change trains at KL Sentral,” the statement said.

KTMB said tickets for long-distance ETS services requiring a train change at KL Sentral must currently be bought in two separate transactions, one per travel sector.

However, KTMB is upgrading its booking system to allow integrated purchases in a single transaction from December.

Passengers are therefore advised to check schedules for both ETS services and ensure sufficient transfer time at KL Sentral before booking.

The public is encouraged to buy tickets early via the KITS Style app or the official KTMB website at www.ktmb.com.my, and to check the latest schedules before booking, particularly for long-distance trips requiring a train change at KL Sentral. — Bernama