The KTM Class 61 is a

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

operated by

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (; Jawi: ) or colloquially referred to simply as KTM, is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. ...

for

KTM Intercity KTM Intercity () are diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Services operate along the East Coast Line between Tumpat and Gemas and on towards JB Sentral on the Wes ...

services on non electrified sections of the

KTM West Coast railway line The KTM West Coast railway line is a main railway line in Malaysia. It runs from close to the Malaysia–Thailand border in Perlis (where it connects with the State Railway of Thailand) to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore. Running ne ...

and the

KTM East Coast railway line The East Coast railway line (ECRL) is a single-track metre gauge railway line in Malaysia that runs between the Gemas railway station in Negeri Sembilan and the Tumpat railway station in Kelantan. Gemas is the rail junction between the West Coa ...

Background

The idea of using DMUs is not new to KTMB. In 1960, the company operated diesel railcars on short-distance services. The railcars operated in multiple-unit formations until the mid-1970s, when they were converted into trailers and coupled with conventional diesel locomotives. In the 1980s, KTM ordered railbuses for similar services, but these services ended in the 1990s. Secondhand DMUs were also proposed for KTM Komuter services to make up for the shortage of EMUs, but in the end, new Class 92 EMUs were ordered instead.

Procurement

In 2015, the '' Business Times'' reported that KTMB had signed a deal for DMUs with Majestic Engineering, in which the DMUs will be supplied by CRRC. KTMB confirmed its intentions to get DMUs in 2016, pointing out its higher speeds compared to locomotive hauled trains. In 2017, KTMB formally announced the procurement of 13 DMUs along with 9 ETS sets from CRRC. The trains were constructed from 2018 to 2020 by

CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd. is one of the electric locomotive manufacturers in China. It is one of the subsidiaries of CRRC. History Predecessor Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Works was founded in 1936. CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., ...

. The first two sets were built in CRRC’s factory in

Zhuzhou Zhuzhou ( zh, c=株洲, p=Zhūzhōu, ), formerly Jianning (建宁), is a prefecture-level city of Hunan Province, China, straddling the Xiang River southeast of the provincial capital, Changsha, and bordering Jiangxi province to the east. It is ...

, China, whereas the remaining eleven were built in CRRC’s factory in

Batu Gajah Batu Gajah (population 133,422) is the seat of Kinta District, Perak, Malaysia. It is administered by the Batu Gajah District Council (), formerly known as Kinta West District Council (). Etymology The name ''Batu Gajah'' in Malay means "e ...

, Malaysia.

Description

The trains have a design speed of and are expected to operate at up to . They are equipped with graphene-based supercapacitors for storing braking energy and two

MAN A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...

powerpacks. The diesel engines can be replaced with fuel cells to reach zero emissions operation. The trains are fitted with a Wireless Train Tracker tool for location detection. Since the trains are used on non-upgraded sections where platform heights are lower, the trains are fitted with retractable steps to aid passengers in boarding. The train bodies themselves are specified to meet the European EN15227 crashworthiness standard.

Formation

Features

The trains feature digital passenger information systems, a prayer room and a light catering bar. Nine of the thirteen sets will have a parcel storage area and have commuter style seating i.e. a combination of transverse and longitudinal seating layouts. Such trains are suited for regional services such as the Shuttle Timur service. The remaining four sets have 2+2 transverse seating and are suited to long distance travel.

Service history

KTMB held a launch party for the new trains on 11 April 2021, inaugurating DMU service between Tumpat, Gua Musang and

Kuala Lipis Kuala Lipis (Pahang Malay: ''Kole Lepeh'') is a mukim and capital of Lipis District, Pahang, Malaysia with a population of 20,000. History Kuala Lipis was a gold-mining centre before the British Empire, British arrived in 1887. In 1898, it bec ...

. From 21 February 2022, the trains were fully utilised on the east coast line with the opening of the shuttle timuran 35up/38dn from

Gemas Gemas (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Gomeh'') is a small town and a mukim (township) in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is 101 km southeast of Seremban, the state capital city, and ...

References

{{Rail transport in Malaysia, state=collapsed Diesel multiple units of Malaysia Keretapi Tanah Melayu Train-related introductions in 2021 CRRC multiple units CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive