Design and development work for the open payment system serving Malaysia’s rapid rail network, managed by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, is set to commence in March 2024, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke. The infrastructure construction will be completed within 11 months, by February 2025, with 50% of the gantries at each station prepared for open payment. By August 2025, all gantries will be ready for this mode of payment. If needed, the system can be further developed to include other payment methods, such as QR codes, in subsequent phases.
Prasarana has been planning to implement an open payment system on its rail service network in the Klang Valley since the start of 2023. This new system will introduce MyDebit and credit cards as additional payment options at the gantry alongside existing payment methods like Touch ‘n’ Go or tokens.
For the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) commuter network in the Klang Valley, Loke mentioned that an upgrade of the ticketing system or Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) at 57 KTM stations is nearly complete and set to go live by mid-November 2023. The new system will support open payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, Touch ‘n’ Go, and QR codes via the KTMB mobile application, with a project cost of RM29 million.
Regarding the possibility of adding more women-only coaches to the rail network, Loke stated that the Transport Ministry would need to assess their effectiveness before deciding. Currently, the ministry designates one coach per four-coach train for women-only passengers, and adding more would reduce the number of mixed coaches. While there are currently no regulations or fines for male passengers boarding women-only coaches, authorities plan to station officers or auxiliary policemen at stations to ensure compliance.
