The KTM ETS2 Business Class is the latest premium hard product by KTM Berhad ever since the Koc Selesa was introduced on the Senandung Malam between Singapore Tanjung Pagar and Kuala Lumpur, bringing the single-class ETS service to a new generation of true premium travel of both passenger comfort and speed. Launched on 11 October 2019, with seats on the first train strangely fully sold out or blocked when I was trying to book my ticket the entire day on 12 September 2019 when tickets were supposedly launched, I settled for the second day of service on 12 October 2019 to get a rather empty coach when booking 30 days before departure.
I arrived at KL Sentral early to prepare for my first ETS 93/2 Class ride on board the Business Class coach.
Announcements are made in the station for Business Class passengers to head up to the 1st Class Lounge on Level 3 to wait for the 9274up train to Padang Besar.
Signs are posted before the escalator up to the 3rd Floor.
Heading up the escalator to the 3rd Floor.
Heading into a path that I haven’t been on for years.
Signs follow in the lift lobby towards the 1st Class Lounge. I’m still a bit triggered that KTM didn’t simply rename it to the Business Class Lounge though, since neither the AFC, 2PLUS or Koc Selesa serves KL Sentral any more.
The Business Class pull-up banners before the 1st Class Lounge.
Ahem, it has arrived.
Heading into the 1st Class Lounge.
The opening hours of the 1st Class Lounge for Business Class passengers.
Check-in for Business Class passengers is done at the 1st Class Lounge, which is a new procedure. After checking for tickets, the staff ticks off your name on the passenger manifest.
Brochures on the ETS2 Business Class are available on the cocktail table beside the check-in counter.
Despite haven’t been inside the 1st Class Lounge for years, nothing has changed.
The ETS Platinum 9274up is not shown on the departure screens.
Heading to grab a seat in the 1st Class Lounge to wait for my train.
ETS Platinum Standard passengers wait at Gate B as per normal.
There is a dedicated lift in the 1st Class Lounge for Business Class passengers to head down to the platform.
Once the train is ready for boarding, the staff calls out for passengers to head down to the platform. The lift would require 2 trips to send Business Class passengers down.
As Business Class passengers head down to the train, boarding is not open for ETS Platinum Standard passengers yet. Gate B is only opened when all Business Class passengers have arrived at the platform.
Behold, the brand new ETS 93/2 Class ETS211 operating as ETS Platinum 9274up from KL Sentral to Padang Besar.
The new ETS logo on the side of ETS211.
A very Chinese-looking destination sign on Coach F.
The usual LED sign in the middle of the car.
The interior of the ETS Platinum Standard coach.
The 9274up train departure is not flashed on the platform screen as well.
Boarding for ETS Platinum Standard passengers commenced 3 minutes prior to departure.
Heading back to my Business Class coach of Coach A at the rear of the train.
A whiteboard in use for the Business Class platform sign.
Boarding the Business Class coach at Coach A.
Th interior of the ETS2 Business Class.
What looks like a welcome mat is actually part of the carpet pattern on board the ETS2 Business Class.
My seat for the journey to Padang Besar at single Seat 7A.
USB and 2-pin power sockets are available on the wall beside the seat.
The legroom available on board the ETS2 Business Class.
The ETS2 Business Class seat comes with a spring-up legrest.
The rear cab door on ETS2 Business Class Coach A.
Luggage racks are available by the door nearest to the driving cab.
The builder sticker of CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd..
The sticker before the door at the gangway.
The glass door leading to the seating cabin has a Business Class sticker on it.
The other “welcome mat” at the end of the train.
Heading back to my seat before the train departure.
The ETS2 Business Class seat comes with a ticket holder.
A seat hook is also available.
On the solo seat, the tray table is found beneath the right armrest.
On the solo seat, the entertainment screen is found beneath the left armrest.
The interface of the entertainment system in the ETS2 Business Class.
When in-train announcements are made, the in-train entertainment system (ITE?) freezes up annoyingly just like on board a plane.
Heading out of KL Sentral.
The central screens also freeze up when an announcement is made.
A better shot of the power sockets provided.
Making a brief stop in Kuala Lumpur.
I was pleasantly surprised that food can be ordered from the entertainment system.
At Kuala Lumpur, the Elite Steward heads out headsets to all passengers for use on the entertainment system.
The provided headsets for the train journey. I would have liked if KTM were to have their own branding on it for more premium and free advertising when a passenger uses the headphones elsewhere after the train journey.
Case in point, headphone branding for passengers to bring along wherever they go. Thank you Singapore Airlines.
Crossing with an ETS 91 Class heading to KL Sentral.
The seat pocket contains various collateral on the ETS2 Business Class.
The view from my seat when flipping out the tray table.
The view from my seat when flipping out both the tray table and entertainment screen.
My seat number of 7A without any labels of window or aisle.
A reading light is also available, though this provided general brightness rather than an actual targeted light.
Departing from Kuala Lumpur.
The movie selection on the entertainment system.
The music selection on the entertainment system.
The meal selection on the entertainment system. Surprisingly, the system does not come loaded with the full menu, but rather, stuff that people don’t usually order. The popular Nasi Lemak is not available on the ordering system, along with sandwiches.
The entertainment system also allows for surfing the internet, though it comes with a vert strange warning.
In case you can’t see it: “Long-term Internet access is not good for your eyesight, please go online”
My Googling was interrupted by an in-train announcement.
At this point of time, a steward came around to check everyone from the manifest. Tickets are not checked again here.
There are various .pdf files to view under the Promotion & Information page.
I decided to check out the ETS timetable.
Uh, not very helpful with the super small font. Zooming can only be done on the zoom button.
Zooming in doesn’t help too with the low resolution and non-movable .pdf file. Unless you are only looking for a KL-Ipoh train in the middle of the .pdf document, the timetable on the entertainment screen is pretty much of no help.
The route map of the ETS Platinum 9274up to Padang Besar.
When the seat in front of fully reclined, it does not hit the entertainment screen.
Checking out YouTube to test the internet.
Loading…
And loading…
Unfortunately I couldn’t get the video to start playing for even 1 second even though I’ve waited for 5 minutes already.
Pro-tip: Just stick to the mobile network on your phone if you want to surf the net.
The USB charger is useful for maintaining your phone battery to surf the net.
Flipping the hook open to place some belongings.
The hook is rather stable for small stuff, though there is a safe working load of 3kg.
My ticket for the ETS Platinum 9274up from Sentral Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar by ETS2 Business Class
The KTM ticket, however, does not fit within the China standard of credit card-sized train tickets for the ticket holder.
The best I could do for the ticket holder without folding my paper KTM ticket.
The ticket holder fits a credit card-sized ticket like for China Railway perfectly.
Passing Sungai Buloh MRT Station.
The legroom available when facing the ETS2 Business Class seats together.
The ETS logo embossed onto the headrest.
Shortly after, the crew serves a welcome snack.
The welcome snack consists of a box of desserts of a Madeline-like sponge cake, a chocolate tart and a red velvet kek lapis, along with a box of orange juice at room temperature.
The cakes tasted pretty good, perfectly with the right amount of sweetness. The chocolate tart is the best though, with the moist chocolate flowing in my mouth.
I decided to give a movie a shot, choosing The_Hunger_Games. However, instead of the 2012 movie, it was actually The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Yup, that’s Katniss. Movie works.
The nearest toilet for the ETS2 Business Class coach is at Coach B, but thankfully it’s located at the gangway immediately after Coach A.
The interior of the toilet at Coach B.
There is a hopper window for ventilation in the toilet, however, it was locked.
The crowded coach on board ETS Platinum Standard Coach B.
The ETS Cafe is located in Coach C.
There are airline-style refreshment trolleys for refreshment service in the train, or for Business Class service.
The seating area by the ETS Cafe now comes with circular rigid metal stools.
The overview of the counter frontage of the ETS Cafe.
A better menu layout on board the ETS 93/2 Class ETS Cafe with proper A4 frames rather than the old style of pasting A4 paper everywhere.
The variety of hot meals on board. There are no more combo sets which comes with a drink. All items are not a la carte.
The snack menu on board.
A variety of drinks on board.
As you can see, the menu on the entertainment system versus the actual menu is clearly different.
Looking back at the ETS Cafe from the gangway.
The universally accessible toilet is located in Coach D.
The door controls of the universally-accessible toilet on the ETS 93/2 Class are finally electric, rather than the manual pulling in the ETS 93 Class.
The sink area of the universally-accessible toilet by the door.
The Surau is now located in Coach D of the ETS 93/2 Class set.
The entrance to the Surau.
There is an electronic sign featuring the occupancy of the Surau.
There is a serious design flaw in the Surau on board the ETS 93/2 Class where it is necessary to step into the prayer area first with your shoes before shutting the main door to access the wudhu washing area. The only option to bypass this is to go barefoot on the coach corridor first, which may not be a good idea.
Hooks and a holding bar (which are of no use when the door is open) is available at the wudhu area.
Prayer mats and cloths are provided in the Surau.
The prayer area can fit 2 people comfortably.
The overall interior of the prayer area.
Heading into Coach D, there is a dedicated area for passengers in wheelchairs.
The wide space marked for wheelchair storage.
Passengers in wheelchairs may choose to take a seat on the dedicated foldable seats, or to lock their wheelchair on it should they prefer sitting in the wheelchair. A pair of seats can accommodate a seated and buckled wheelchair.
The dedicated OKU seats face away from the main cabin towards the wheelchair.
The buckle for wheelchairs on the special fold-down seats.
The immense legroom on the special OKU seats. However, these seats do not recline.
No seat number is assigned to these special OKU seats.
There is no more private crew room on board the ETS 93/2 Class, now replaced with a crew area on Coaches A and F.
Row 1 in Coach A is blacklisted to me as it offers a full wall view instead of a window.
The legroom available on board the ETS Platinum Standard.
The ETS Platinum Standard comes with a spring-up legrest too.
The safety card is pasted on the back of the tray table in ETS Platinum Standard.
The ETS Platinum Standard seats on the ETS 93/2 Class is a lot more comfortable than the standard ETS Platinum seats on the ETS 93 Class.
A hook is also available in ETS Platinum Standard.
The amount of recline you get in ETS Platinum Standard.
The amount of space you get with the tray table out in an upright seat position.
The interior of the half-full Coach F. I hope it’s not because of KTM’s late opening of tickets as usual.
Making a long stop at Kampar as the train was almost 20 minutes before time. Seems to be a scheduling problem to put too much backup time in the timetable.
Passing by Batu Gajah Depot.
Another ETS 93/2 Class set resting in Batu Gajah.
The ETS 93/2 Class parked in front of her older sisters.
Passing by the freshly refurbished Tren Aral Batu Gajah.
Hmm, if only KTM would maintain existing passenger coaches as much as they maintain this Tren Aral Batu Gajah.