Butterworth Ktm Station To Undergo Rm30mil Upgrade Says Loke

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The transport minister says the facility upgrade is part of plans to create an integrated public transport hub involving the Butterworth ferry terminal and Penang Sentral.
DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook had launched the party’s state chapter convention here this morning. (Bernama pic)BUTTERWORTH: The Butterworth KTM station will undergo a RM30 million upgrade, with a contractor set to be appointed next month, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook
Loke said the project had been planned well in advance and was not linked to yesterday’s incident in which a Komuter train derailed at the end of the track at Butterworth station.
“Our goal is to transform Butterworth station, together with the Butterworth ferry terminal and Penang Sentral, into an integrated public transport hub where multiple modes of transport converge in the same area,” the DAP secretary-general told reporters after launching the Penang DAP convention today.
Present were DAP national adviser Lim Guan Eng and Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim.
Loke said the integration will allow seamless transfers between ETS and Komuter services, and later, the Penang LRT.
“For instance, someone travelling on the ETS from Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru to Penang will have several options upon arriving in Butterworth … whether to take the ferry to the island or, eventually, the LRT,” he said.
On the LRT alignment, he said the line to Penang Sentral is  part of the existing plan, while any extension beyond that will require a comprehensive feasibility study.
Loke also announced that Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, in collaboration with the Penang government, will expand the Bayan Lepas air cargo terminal and develop a larger logistics site in Batu Maung.
He said these upgrades will double air cargo capacity from three to six aircraft parking bays.
In the Komuter incident yesterday, no passengers were in the six coaches that derailed.
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd said its technical team arrived at the location immediately after the incident. Work on removing the coaches is under way to ensure the safety of the area and smooth operations at the station.
KTMB also said it is conducting further investigations to identify the exact cause of the derailment.
It said today train services on the route resumed at about 7.50 last night. - FMT

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