China’s CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Company (CRRC Changchun)and Malaysia’s Express Rail Link (ERL)unveiled the new train that will be used for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport rail link service on March 13, concluding a deal signed in 2014 in which ERL agreed to buy six trains from CRRC Changchun.

With the launch of the new trains,ERL’s total capacity will be increased by 50 percent, said Mohd Nadzmin Mohd Salleh, executive chairman of ERL. Train departures will also be improved during morning and evening peak hours from the current 20-minute intervals to 15 minutes.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said cooperation between ERL and CRRC have shown how national boundaries can be transcended to serve the needs of Malaysians.

Liow also highlighted China’s massive achievements in building the world’s largest high speed rail network, saying that Malaysia is also moving into high gear by building more railway lines, including the high speed rail connecting Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

“Hopefully we can complete by the year 2026, this first high speed rail line will connect Kuala Lumpur and Singapore,later they will connect from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok and to China using high speed rail. That will be the future,” he said.

Each of the 6 trains has 4 cars and can operate at a cruising speed of 160 kilometers per hour. According to a press release, the trains have more seats onboard, longer seats pitch and higher ceiling. It also has 15 percent more airconditioning capacity.

An Zhongyi, general manager of CRRC Changchun, expressed his hope that the train delivery can help usher in more cooperation with local partners and suppliers.