KTM Ekspres Selatan 41dn Bus from Gemas to Labis from Monday, 6 March 2023
The Ekspres Selatan 41dn will operate as a Rail Replacement Bus Service between Gemas and Labis from Monday, 6 March 2023. This is due to the progress of the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track Project (EDTP). This information was spotted on Wednesday, 1 March 2023 on a notice at JB Sentral KTM ticket counter. The Ekspres Selatan 41dn Rail Replacement Bus Service will depart from Gemas at 2.00am, Segamat at 2.36am and arrive at Labis at 3.15am for transfer to the actual Ekspres Selatan 41dn train.
With the change of the Ekspres Selatan 41dn to a Rail Replacement Bus Service between Gemas and Labis, the last train to pass through the Gemas-Labis sector daily will be Ekspres Rakyat Timuran 26up at around 12am at Labis, and the first train to pass through again will be Ekspres Rakyat Timuran 27dn at 7.44am. This gives a clear working window of around 7.5 hours at night for Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track Project (EDTP) works to progress on the Gemas-Labis sector without trains disrupting the work site.
KTM Ekspres Selatan 41tn Akan Menggunakan Bas di Antara Gemas, Segamat & Labis
Tren KTM Ekspres Selatan 41tn akan menggunakan Perkhidmatan Bas di antara Gemas, Segamat dan Labis berkuatkuasa pada Isnin, 6 Mac 2023. Ini lanjutan daripada kerja-kerja Projek Landasan Berkembar Elektrik Gemas-Johor Bahru (PLBEGJB) yang giat dilaksanakan. Perkhidmatan Bas Ekspres Selatan 41tn akan berlepas dari Gemas pada jam 2.00 pagi, Segamat pada jam 2.36 pagi, dan tiba di Labis pada jam 3.15 pagi untuk pertukaran ke tren Ekspres Selatan 41tn.
Interestingly, the notice states that all other KTM Intercity trains will operate normally. Notably, the Ekspres Selatan 46up departs before the Ekspres Rakyat Timuran 26up, however, there needs to be a rake at Labis to form the shortened Ekspres Selatan 41dn. This could mean that KTM will be sending empty rakes to Labis daily from either Gemas or Kempas Baru, or the notice has an error to not truncate the Ekspres Selatan 46up to Labis as well.
KTM Ekspres Selatan Route Map from 6 March 2023
In my infographic, I have decided to include Ekspres Selatan 46up to terminate at Labis, followed by a Rail Replacement Bus Service between Labis and Gemas as well, since it’s the logical mode of operation for turning back the rake, but I may very well be wrong about this. Anyway, both Ekspres Selatan 46up and 41dn are not very popular trains anyway, so I don’t think thousands will be affected by this change to a Rail Replacement Bus Service.
I will be monitoring the situation whether it be online announcements or in-person from now till a few days after the Ekspres Selatan 41dn Rail Replacement Bus Service is in operation.
I was wrong – Ekspres Selatan 46up still goes all the way to Gemas. An empty rake will be sent to Labis without passengers before the line gets blocked. Passengers will continue to take the Rail Replacement Bus Service even though the empty rake is operating without passengers.