KLIA Aerotrain to Resume Service on 31 Jan 2025 After a Long Hiatus

If you’re a KL dweller or a frequent flier in Malaysia, you’ll be aware that the Aerotrain, which connects KLIA’s main terminal building and the satellite terminal, has been suspended since March 2023 due to constant breakdowns *groans*. To shuttle between the terminals, passengers, primarily those for international flights, had to rely on buses. This also paints a bad first impression for visitors to our country.

For those who have been impatiently waiting for the Aerotrain to be fully functional again, there’s good news: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has announced that The Aerotrain Replacement Project at (KLIA) is slated to be completed by 31 January 2025. This date is two months earlier than the project’s original planned completion date, as reported by The Star.

Back in March 2022, MAHB announced that it had awarded the KLIA Aerotrain Replacement Project, which has a three-year completion timeline. However, the project encountered delays, resulting in a new project being awarded in January 2024. This went to a consortium comprising Alstom, the aerotrain’s original equipment manufacturer, and IJMC-Pestech JV to get the project back on track (quite literally).

Image Credit: KLIA

According to MAHB, Alstom, the new project coordination lead, will oversee the delivery of three new trains, upgrade two lines, and the comprehensive testing required for safe operations.

The statement said that according to the project’s timeline, the new aerotrains are expected to arrive in Malaysia from China by the end of the third quarter of this year.

The aerotrains will then undergo commissioning and rigorous testing by the relevant authorities before official operations commence.

MAHB said that this expedited timeline was finalised through a contract signed on 14 June 2024 between Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd (MA Sepang), Alstom Transport Systems (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, and IJMC-Pestech JV, a joint venture between IJM Construction Sdn Bhd and Pestech Technology Sdn Bhd. MA Sepang is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MAHB.

Let’s hope that this date doesn’t get pushed back somehow!

Featured Image Credit: Astro Awani, instagram.com/translas_transportation_2019/