Minister of Economy Rafizi said the government will lease more carriages for the electric train service from Padang Besar, Perlis, to Johor Bahru, Johor, aiming to increase the current railway capacity by 20 percent to 50% by 2030.
He stated that the government is committed to this initiative to support the transportation needs of the Johor-Singapore Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
“We have a dual-track train service from Perlis to Johor Bahru, and the government has decided to lease more carriages. This is because, due to a limited number of carriages, our current railway track capacity is only 30%.”
“We hope to increase the rate to above 50%, and the government is dedicated to achieving this goal.”
He spoke today (9th) at the Malaysia Economic Forum 2025 (FEM) on the theme “From Made in Malaysia to Created by Malaysia.”
The train journey from Padang Besar to Johor Bahru is 692 kilometers long.
Additionally, Rafizi mentioned that the government has collected sufficient data and is in the final stages of presenting a proposal to the cabinet regarding the gradual elimination of the B40, M40, and T20 income group classifications.
He said the government will announce the eligibility for assistance distribution and launch a new mechanism guided by disposable income in a few weeks.