KOTA BARU: The people in Kelantan have described the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) fares of RM125 to RM147 for journeys between Gombak and Kota Baru as reasonable, given the shorter travel time.
They said the service, scheduled to begin commercial operations in mid-December, would give them more transport options for travelling to the Klang Valley.
Resident Fiza Abdul Rahim, 38, said the fare announcement was eagerly awaited by the people in the state.
"We have been waiting for the fares for the past few months, and today we finally have the answer. I think fares of between RM125 and RM147 are reasonable.
"Although they are slightly more expensive than express bus fares, the journey takes only four hours, compared with eight hours by bus.
"I am confident that demand for the ECRL service will be encouraging when it begins operations in December. More importantly, the people in Kelantan will have a wider choice of transport," she said.
It was reported that ECRL fares would start at RM125 for an Economy Class transit service between Gombak and Kota Baru.
Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) said the government had approved the proposed fare structure on Oct 16, based on a dynamic pricing mechanism.
Muhammad Azrin Zainal Abidin, deputy chairman of the Malaysian Association of Hotels' Kelantan chapter, also described the fares as reasonable, saying the service could attract more tourists to the state while making travel to the Klang Valley more convenient for the people in Kelantan.
He suggested that fares be adjusted according to the day of travel, with lower prices on weekdays than on weekends and public holidays.
"Airlines and express bus operators also adopt this approach.
"However, I would say the fares are within expectations and are not too expensive when compared with the journey time," he said.
Kelantan People's Action Council president Aiman Yusri Mohd Yusoff also considered the fares reasonable, given the journey time and service provided.
He acknowledged that reactions to the announcement were mixed, with some describing the fares as expensive and others calling for lower prices.
"However, I believe they are reasonable given the journey time, with fares starting from as low as RM125.
"I am confident that, in addition to attracting tourists to Kelantan, the service will encourage the people in the state to travel to the Klang Valley more often. Some may even make day trips without staying overnight," he said.
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