Transport minister Loke Siew Fook announced that Butterworth KTM station will undergo a RM30 million upgrade, with a contractor set to be appointed next month.
Loke, who also serves as DAP secretary-general, clarified that the project had been planned well in advance and is 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,” he told reporters after launching the Penang DAP convention.
He added that the integration will allow seamless transfers between ETS and Komuter services, and, in the future, 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,” Loke said.
Regarding the LRT alignment, he said the line to Penang Sentral is already part of the existing plan, while any extension beyond that will require a comprehensive feasibility study.
In the incident yesterday, no passengers were in the six coaches that derailed.
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd(KTMB) 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 7.51 last night.
