MALAYAN Railway must give serious thought to reconnect railway lines that were removed long ago to generate income as well as to solve the heavy traffic volume on all major roads. These again may reduce road accidents and create greater safety in travelling.

Of late, we have seen a high number of accidents caused by bus drivers resulting in many deaths and injuries. Why not promote the railway service, which is cheaper, safer and fast?

The railway system is capable of hauling larger number of coaches with a higher volume of passengers. A single trip from Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur could easily carry some two to three hundred passengers.

It is shame that KTM does not see the potential revenue that may come from these services.

It may not be that economically stressful to restore certain rail services that had been removed either through poor revenue or historically abandoned, or shifted off to the Burmese Siam Death Railway construction by the infamous Japanese administration then.

There are many such places like this.

> Port Dickson, whose station still stands amidst some squatters and the long quality railway line with its historical gates is a welcome sight.

> Batang Berjuntai, which was once a busy town with its agricultural produce.

> Port Weld and Teluk Intan. Next is the tourist state of Malacca, which should welcome a railway system connecting the city with Tampin.

KTM can restore these lines and build small towns along the line to the historic city of Malacca and rake in tourist dollars.

Instead of building multiple super highways under, over and flying all over, perhaps the Government should turn to old railway tracks to solve the many traffic bottlenecks.

But, please, do not forget about Penang Island.

The traffic issues on this island can never be solved as it is doomed from the day it scrapped its state-run stage coaches and jumped onto the privatisation wagon.

K. RAMAMURTHY ACHARI,
Penang.

Source: The Star – March 19, 2008