KTM offers entertainment to attract more passengers

Eddy said: Bang my head 5 times in a day. I wonder how much money is going to "spend" on this initiative.

KTM offers entertainment to attract more passengers
By ZANI SALLEH


KUALA LUMPUR: Train passengers will in the near future be able to surf the Internet while travelling between destinations.

This is one of the services that should be available once the new train coaches are ready in three years' time.

KTM Berhad general manager, Intercity Services, Sarbini Tijan said the plan is an effort to attract passengers especially the younger travellers to use the train services.

He also said other services include entertainment on board such as live shows and watching movies in a mobile cineplex onboard the train.

In the pipeline are other services such as allowing passengers to hold birthday parties on the train or having karaoke while travelling.

"Even telematch and other games could also be organised on board," he said, adding that the services are expected to launch with the KL-Ipoh route when the coaches costing RM240mil arrive from South Korea in 2010.

He told reporters this Monday at a press conference while representing KTM managing director Datuk Mohd Salleh Abdullah to launch ticketing booking services through SMS (short message service), mobile ticketing at KL Sentral.

KTM in collaboration with Yomobile Sdn Bhd is now offering passengers the option of booking tickets via SMS.

It costs RM2.50 for booking and confirming the departure date and time as well as ticket collection. Price of ticket not included.

All the passenger needs to do is send an SMS via mobile phone by typing KTM and send it to 32425.

Yomobile chairman Datin Salina Ahmad said the charges do not include standard charges by the telephone network operator.

For long term bookings, between one or two months, tickets must be collected within seven days prior to the day of trip.

For short term, within seven days, tickets must be collected two days prior to the day of trip.