No Light At The End Of Klia Aerotrain Tunnel

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The KLIA Aerotrain is a huge embarrassment to the country, and many people will probably agree that first impressions do count.
For some travelers visiting Malaysia for the first time, flying into KLIA is their initial entry point into the country; but just think of the impression Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) gives of Malaysia.
Stationary trains, irate passengers prising open the doors of the Aerotrain, and travel-worn passengers lugging their cabin luggage on the tracks, en route to the terminal.
When KLIA first opened in 1998, it was hailed as the airport that would “Bring the World to Malaysia, and Malaysia to the World”.
ADSThe airport’s parent company at the time, Malaysia Airports, declared KLIA as “A Global Airport Group That Champions Connectivity and Sustainability”, and one which “Hosts Joyful Connections”.
Today, passengers wishing to use the driverless Aerotrain are travelling nowhere.
After a long 28-month wait for the Aerotrain service to resume following a major upgrade costing RM456 million of taxpayers’ money, it appears that major issues still plague the beleaguered service.
When the service finally resumed on July 1, 2025, at least five service disruptions had allegedly occurred, and this has prompted a call for Transport Minister Anthony Loke to establish a special committee to investigate the cause of frequent breakdowns.
Transport Minister Anthony LokeOn July 4, an hour-long disruption to the service happened because of water in the Aerotrain tunnel. Heavy rain had caused flooding in the tunnel, and a broken drainage pump failed to remove the water.
Loke said the fault was not with the new train system but with a failure in the airport’s older infrastructure.
Shortly after, a dislodged current collector device (CCD) triggered a loss of power to the train.
KLIA Aerotrain service suspended due to water accumulation, July 2025Perennial issues
MAHB’s managing director, Izani Ghani, said the Aerotrain had only just undergone a scheduled two-week maintenance involving all contractors. Alstrom, the French rolling stock group manufacturer, stressed that the incident was not representative of the overall performance of the newly relaunched Aerotrain system.
If the breakdown incident is as unusual as Alstrom said, then why is the new train not functioning as it should?
So, what has gone wrong with the upgraded Aerotrain service, and why can’t the MAHB and transport minister get a grip of the issues that plague the Aerotrain?
Passengers may recall how, in September 2017, the Aerotrain stopped midway, and irate passengers forced the doors open and made their way on foot, alongside the track, and headed towards the terminal building.
ADSThe last straw was perhaps in March 2023, when yet another breakdown resulted in 114 passengers stranded mid-way on the tracks. Passengers missed their flights, and the decision was made to suspend the Aerotrain operation.
Passengers of the KLIA Aerotrain walk along tracks, March 2023This meant that passengers on international flights had to be ferried by coach from the KLIA terminal to the satellite complex to catch their flights, instead of the seemingly effortless two-minute Aerotrain ride.
Regular users of KLIA will have heard it all before. When something breaks down, top management will regurgitate umpteen excuses to justify their explanation of yet another failure.
Before the upgrade, blame was heaped on faulty circuit breakers, an old system, outdated machinery, internal wiring issues, or mechanical and electronic issues.
After the upgrade, fault was placed on software issues, broken drainage pumps, the “current collector device”, and KLIA’s ageing infrastructure.
When the service resumed on July 1, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim went on a walkabout of Terminal 1 at KLIA, and praised the newly upgraded Aerotrain and said, “Good… faster than before.” What would his reaction be now, after the breakdowns?
Breakdown despite upgrades, tests
The upgraded Aerotrain features the Alstom Innovia APM 300R train sets. Each three-car unit is able to accommodate up to 270 passengers and can travel at a top speed of 56kph, reducing travel time between the main terminal and the satellite terminal to under three minutes.
The new trains are supposedly designed to minimise service disruptions, enhance operational efficiency, and improve passenger comfort, except this is not the experience of current Aerotrain users.
KLIA Aerotrain stalls after power trip, fresh from maintenance, September 2025Izani said that the upgraded system had undergone six months of rigorous testing and commissioning by the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), including extensive technical and safety assessments.
However, the incessant breakdowns remind us of the problems that the Malaysian navy experienced with the French Scorpene submarines.
Issues with both the hardware and software occurred, despite millions of ringgits being spent on the submarines, which had trouble diving.
We purchased submarines designed for use in colder waters, knowing full well the Navy would patrol warmer tropical seas.
So, have we spent RM456 million on faulty goods? Or shoddy maintenance? Or did someone take shortcuts in servicing and testing? - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, X.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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