Media Release
Wednesday, 30th November 2011
Express Rail Link (ERL) Receives the ISO 9001:2008 Certification & Introduces Newly Refurbished Train
ISO 9001:2008 certification for the scope Provision of rail services between KLIA and KL Sentral
New seat covers and carpets among Company’s efforts to improve its customers’ travelling experience
Salak Tinggi, 30th November 2011: Express Rail Link (ERL) celebrated an important milestone in its history today when the company was officially presented with the ISO 9001:2008 certification for the scope Provision of rail services between KLIA and KL Sentral by the awarding body, Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance.
In his speech, Executive Chairman of ERL, YBhg. Dato’ Sri Mohd Nadzmi b. Mohd Salleh said: “The goal is to ensure we provide consistent service quality that meets international standards. With this certification, our customers can be confident that ERL is committed to maintaining the highest standards of effectiveness and responsiveness in achieving our goal.”
Much earlier in May 2003, its subsidiary company ERL Maintenance Support Sdn. Bhd. (E-MAS) became the first railway company in Malaysia to be issued the then ISO 9001:2000 certification for the scope Operations and Maintenance of Express Rail Link (ERL) and Commuter Rail Service (CRS) railway systems. This certification was sought to ensure the operations and maintenance aspects such as safety, reliability and punctuality meet the operational requirements. E-MAS has successfully maintained the certification year after year, and today both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services are still enjoying an excellent 99.7% on-time availability.
Today, eight years later, ERL became the first train operator in Malaysia to achieve the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System for total customer satisfaction.
“The ISO certification speaks of the drive for quality that ERL has set out to achieve over the years in line with our vision of being a world-class service provider. Various continual initiatives have also been taken particularly over the last two years to improve our service quality,” Dato’ Sri Mohd Nadzmi added. He also thanked the staff for their support and efforts under the leadership of CEO, Noormah Mohd Noor during the certification process which started in mid 2010.
Among the recent initiatives taken by ERL to improve its customers’ experiences include the enhancements of its fare collection system. Contactless and bar code solutions have been progressively introduced through the help of strategic partnerships. Customers no longer need to queue at the counter to buy their train tickets. With the implementation of KLIA Ekspres’ e-ticketing system in 2010, customers from anywhere in the world can buy the train tickets online at any time and simply scan the bar code at the reader to go through the boarding gate. Its partnership with Visa has enabled customers to board KLIA Ekspres by tapping their Visa payWave cards directly at the gate. Similarly, KLIA Ekspres partnered with Touch ‘n Go to offer the smart card solution on KLIA Ekspres recently. The second phase involving the KLIA Transit service will be launched in mid-December 2011.
A year ago, ERL partnered with YTL Communications Sdn. Bhd. (YTLC), the provider of Yes, one of the most advanced 4G mobile internet networks in the world, to give passengers free and seamless wifi connectivity throughout the journey between KL Sentral and KLIA. At the same time, Yes subscribers can enjoy uninterrupted 4G speeds up to 15 megabits per second (Mbps) with their Yes 4G device even when travelling at the train’s maximum operating speed of 160 kilometres per hour.
YTLC’s Chief Marketing Officer, Chee Pok Jin said: “Yes delivers the best mobile broadband speed, connectivity and flexibility in the country. We understand that in today’s hyper-connected world, consumers can’t afford to do without internet connectivity. Furthermore, we know that when it comes to broadband connectivity Malaysians want the best and will not compromise on performance. Yes fits the bill perfectly. We are proud to be able to play an active part in this initiative towards providing convenience for ERL passengers”.
To accommodate the increase in demand, ERL introduced two additional trips on KLIA Transit last April to cater to Air Asia passengers taking early morning flights. As the company enters its 10th year of operations next year, it has recently commenced its train interior refurbishment exercise involving replacement of carpets in KLIA Ekspres trains and seat covers in both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit trains. The work, together with the wifi upgrading, is expected to be completed by April 2012.
“The key to a successful business is brand loyalty, and the obvious strategy to achieve this is by improving customer experience. We shall continue to improve and innovate upon our processes and systems to ensure a safe, reliable and environmentally friendly operation that our discerning customers both local and foreign have come to expect. This will be vital to us in the year ahead as we prepare for the launch of our train services to KLIA2, the new LCC Terminal later,” Dato’ Sri Mohd Nadzmi concluded.
Earlier during the media event held at the Air-Rail Complex in Salak Tinggi, guests and members of the media were taken on a short tour of the depot facility where they could see for themselves the interior refurbishment work being done on the second train. The group were then taken on the first newly refurbished KLIA Ekspres train from the Air-Rail Complex back to KL Sentral Station. While onboard, Yes promoters were on hand with the latest gadgets to demonstrate the free high-speed wifi.
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About Express Rail Link
Express Rail Link (ERL) is the operator of KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit, high-speed train services that connect KLIA and the Kuala Lumpur city center. The KLIA Ekspres service takes 28 minutes non-stop and operates at 15-minute intervals during peak hours and every 20 minutes during off-peak hours. ERL has been honoured with two accolades at the inaugural Global AirRail Awards 2011 which took place in May 2011. The air-rail operator claimed the Best Customer Service Award for its KLIA Ekspres VIP Service while Chief Executive Officer, Noormah Mohd Noor became the first recipient of the Personality of the Year Award.
For more information, visit www.KLIAekspres.com.
About Yes & YTL Communications
Yes, a brand under YTL Communications, offers the fastest 4G mobile internet with voice. “Best New Service” winner of the Broadband InfoVision Awards 2011, Yes is a global frontrunner in mobile 4G and is the first mobile operator to bring mobile internet and voice together in one plan. Yes offers the lowest mobile rate in the industry and currently covers over 65% of the population of peninsular Malaysia. YTL Communications Sdn Bhd is a subsidiary and the communications utility of YTL Power International Berhad and part of the YTL Corporation Berhad Group. For more information, please visit: www.yes.my.
About Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA)
LRQA is the leading business assurance company supplying certification services and training to organisations across the world. LRQA work with a complete range of businesses - from manufacturing and all transport sectors, to most service sectors – to provide innovative solutions that reduce risk, improve business performance and provide international management systems certification. LRQA is part of the Lloyd’s Register Group. See www.lr.org for more information.
Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd
For further information,
Marketing Communications
Sheila Shamsudin Tel: +603-2267 8010/ 012-925 1225 Email: sheila@KLIAekspres.com