Dedicated landbridge service between PTP-Hatyai

KTM Bhd will be operating a dedicated international landbridge service between Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas and Hatyai terminal, some 30 km from the Songhla seaport in Thailand. 

The landbridge service rail link is expected to boost PTP’s transshipment hub position by providing multimodal alternatives. PTP as the fast growing transshipment mega hub handled 2.05 million last year. PTP shippers using the new international landbridge service mounted by KTM Bhd will be enjoying a shorter transit time. Transport by the landbridge service of KTMB will take half the time it takes by the sea leg. For instance, the PTP- Hatyai service only takes 36 hours as against 3 days by sea route said the General Manager, Freight Services division, Abdul Radzak Malek.

"The commissioning of the RM450 million single rail link to PTP from the main grid of KTMB is expected to boost PTP’s transshipment volume tremendously. We will be contributing approximately 400 TEUs per month at the initial run of the new service between PTP-Hatyai. Frequency of the service will be increased as the demand picks up," said Radzak.

The service will be operated by PTP Landbridge Sdn Bhd, the appointed landbridge operator by KTM Bhd via the East Coast network through Sungai Golok to inland destinations in Thailand, said Radzak.

"We are also looking into the possibility of handling the bulk of the transshipment traffic, which is being transshipped by feeder vessels between Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas and Bangkok Port in Thailand. It is estimated some 2,000 TEUs are being transshipped monthly between these two destinations, stressed Radzak.

The 35 km PTP rail line officially commenced operation on January 21, 2002. The project funded under the Seventh Malaysia Plan was completed ahead of schedule by India-based Ircon International Ltd. There are two stops in between namely Tanjung Pelepas and Gelang Patah before the single line branched at Skudai to link with national grid. Currently a dedicated service is being mounted between Nilai Inland Port in Negeri Sembilan and Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas.

As the government begins to re-emphasise the importance of the rail network and proceeding with the development of a rail transportation system, we are expecting that a new link between Kuantan Port and Mentakab will be developed during the Eight Malaysia Plan (2001-2005), said Razak.

The completion of the 100-km rail line between Mentakab and Kuantan Port would become a better alternative to the existing road network for shippers to distribute raw materials and finished products from their plants to various domestic and international destinations.

"In fact we are looking at the possibility of setting up an interchange at Mentakab station and mobilize Multimodal Freight Services Sdn Bhd, the wholly owned haulage company of KTM Bhd, to handle containers between Gebeng and Mentakab untill the government decides to construct a Mentakab to Kuantan Port rail line," said Radzak.

Radzak said KTM Bhd is also looking at the possibility of moving dangerous cargoes such as petroleum products and chemical products from the Eastern Corridor and railing them up to places such as Rayong, Mahtaphut and Sriracha, located near Laem Chabang and Pattaya in Thailand. Many multi-national companies have factories in the east coast of Thailand which utilise petrochemical product as feedstock. They prefer to use the landbridge due to the ability to move 50 TEUs.

"KTM Bhd's East Coast network through Sungai Golok will be further complemented with the 72-km single track being developed by Petronas, which links the integrated petrochemical complexes in Kerteh, Terengganu and Kuantan Port with a direct connection to Gebeng Industrial Estate. In fact when government constructs the Mentakab-Kuantan Port sub-line, the rail link developed by Petronas will have access to the national railway grid. We will be complementing our services," noted Radzak.

"The future of the landbridge is very positive and we foresee that more people will use it and when the link between Mentakab and Kuantan is completed, we are confident that East Coast line will be handling a substantial portion of traffic from the Trans-Asian Rail link from Singapore to Kunming in China which is connected to major container terminals, depots, sea and river ports and the industrial sites along the line," he added.

"Our landbridge link between Malaysia and Thailand will be further extended up to and from Yangoon, Phnom Penh, Danang, Laos and Kunming if the missing link between Arayaprathet in Thailand and Sisophon in Cambodia is completed. Work on the 48km missing link is progressing with the move by the State Railway of Thailand to engage consultants to do an engineering study," said Radzak.

He also said the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was having a discussion on the development of the Asia-Europe block train service. Once completed the whole link will not only offer an alternative to the all blue-water transport mode but also offer significant saving in time and money in transporting cargo across the region and between Asia and Europe.

The development of the cross-continent block train services is seen as having enormous potential for growth, although the infrastructure in certain regions may need development and upgrading.