Express Rail Link
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Malaysian rail company that owns and operates the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit airport rail services between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kuala Lumpur Sentral.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd., commonly known as ERL, is a Malaysian railway company responsible for the airport rail connection between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral). The approximately 57-kilometre system provides two related services: KLIA Ekspres, a non-stop airport service, and KLIA Transit, a commuter-oriented service that serves three intermediate stations. Together, they form one of Malaysia’s principal public-transport links between the national gateway airport, the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area, and the country’s main intercity and urban transport hub. The company was established in connection with a Malaysian government concession awarded on 25 August 1997. The concession gave ERL responsibility for financing, constructing, maintaining, and operating the railway for an initial 30-year period. ERL is a joint venture involving YTL Corporation Berhad, Lembaga Tabung Haji, SIPP Rail Sdn. Bhd., and Trisilco Equity Sdn. Bhd. The ownership proportions stated in reference material are 45%, 36%, 10%, and 9%, respectively. Construction began in May 1997 and continued through the Asian financial crisis, which delayed the project but did not prevent completion. The railway was completed approximately five years later and entered commercial operation in 2002. KLIA Ekspres began service on 14 April 2002 as a direct airport-to-city connection. KLIA Transit followed on 20 June 2002, adding stops intended to serve passengers and communities along the alignment. The two services use the same broad airport-rail corridor but have different operating patterns and customer propositions. The network was later extended by 2.14 kilometres to the new KLIA2 terminal, with commercial service beginning on 1 May 2013. ERL’s operating and maintenance activities are supported by ERL Maintenance Support Sdn. Bhd., generally known as E-MAS. The maintenance company was initially formed as a joint venture with Siemens and became wholly owned by ERL in June 2005. E-MAS has also provided railway operating and maintenance expertise outside Malaysia, including cooperation with China Railway Construction Corporation on the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro Southern Line in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj period. The original rolling stock consisted of four-car Siemens Desiro ET 425 electric multiple units. These trains are technically related to the Class 425 units used on German S-Bahn systems and operate at a maximum commercial speed of 160 kilometres per hour, making the service the fastest passenger railway operation in Malaysia according to the referenced material. To address ridership growth, ERL ordered six additional four-car trains from CRRC Changchun in November 2014. The new fleet entered commercial service progressively, with CRRC Changchun Equator electric multiple-unit operation beginning in March 2018. In January 2024, the Malaysian government and ERL reached an agreement extending the operating concession by a further 30 years, taking the concession through 2059. The revised arrangement provides for market-based or variable fares rather than permanently fixed prices and includes a profit-sharing mechanism under which the government may receive 30% of additional profit when the rate of return exceeds 10%. ERL also remains entitled to a share of the passenger service charge paid by passengers departing from KLIA through 2029. The concession extension secures the long-term operating framework for the airport railway while allowing future changes to pricing and revenue arrangements. ERL’s core role is passenger rail transportation rather than the manufacture of trains or provision of a broad consumer brand portfolio. Its brand is closely associated with airport access, predictable journey times, dedicated airport facilities, and integration with Kuala Lumpur’s wider rail network. Proposals have been discussed for further extensions toward Seremban and Melaka, while an extension toward Johor Bahru was considered as an alternative rail connection after the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore high-speed rail project was not continued under its original bilateral arrangement. These proposals do not, on the available material, establish completed ERL services beyond the existing KLIA corridor.
History
Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. was created to develop and operate Malaysia’s dedicated airport railway between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kuala Lumpur Sentral. On 25 August 1997, the Malaysian government granted the company a 30-year concession to finance, build, maintain, and control the railway. The shareholders identified in the reference material are YTL Corporation Berhad, Lembaga Tabung Haji, SIPP Rail Sdn. Bhd., and Trisilco Equity Sdn. Bhd., holding 45%, 36%, 10%, and 9%, respectively. Construction started in May 1997. The Asian financial crisis created a temporary setback, but government support enabled the project to proceed. The completed railway was handed to the SYZ consortium, which brought together Siemens, Siemens Electric Engineering Sdn. Bhd., and Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay, a YTL subsidiary. The reference material gives the project cost as RM2.4 billion over the construction and financing period. It describes funding through RM500 million in equity, RM940 million in loans from the Development and Infrastructure Bank of Malaysia, and import credit from four German financial institutions. These figures relate to the original project and should not be treated as current company financials. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Express_Rail_Link. ERL launched KLIA Ekspres on 14 April 2002. This service was designed as a direct airport connection between KLIA and KL Sentral. KLIA Transit began on 20 June 2002 and introduced three intermediate stops, giving the railway a commuter function in addition to its airport role. The system covers approximately 57 kilometres and uses dedicated electric railway infrastructure. ERL Maintenance Support Sdn. Bhd., or E-MAS, was established in 1999 to handle train operations and maintenance. It initially operated as a joint venture between ERL and Siemens. In June 2005, E-MAS became wholly owned by ERL. The subsidiary later participated in international railway-support work. In cooperation with China Railway Construction Corporation, it contributed personnel and expertise to operations and maintenance for the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro Southern Line in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season, including deployments recorded in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The original trains were four-car Siemens Desiro ET 425 electric multiple units, derived from a design associated with German S-Bahn operations. Their stated maximum commercial speed is 160 kilometres per hour. In response to passenger growth, ERL ordered six additional four-car trains from CRRC Changchun on 27 November 2014. Deliveries were planned from May 2016, and the new CRRC Changchun Equator units began commercial operation on 13 March 2018. A 2.14-kilometre extension to the KLIA2 terminal was completed and opened on 1 May 2013. The extension allowed airport rail passengers to reach both major passenger terminals through the ERL system. On 24 August 2010, the railway experienced its first reported accident: two trains collided at Kuala Lumpur Sentral and three passengers were injured. The original concession was scheduled to expire in 2017. After seven years of negotiations, the operating concession was extended in January 2024 for another 30 years, to 2059. The revised concession introduces the possibility of variable, market-based fares and provides for the Malaysian government to receive 30% of additional profit if the operator’s rate of return exceeds 10%. ERL also remains entitled to a share of the passenger service charge paid by departing KLIA passengers until 2029. Further extensions toward Seremban and Melaka have been proposed. An extension toward Johor Bahru was also considered as an alternative after the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore high-speed rail arrangement was not continued following the postponement deadline at the end of 2020. The available reference material does not establish that these proposals have entered commercial operation. ERL therefore remains principally an airport rail operator centered on the KLIA–KL Sentral corridor.
- 2024
Operating concession is extended to 2059
[1]The government extended ERL’s concession by 30 years and revised the framework for fares and profit sharing.
- 2018
CRRC Equator trainsets enter service
[1]The newly ordered CRRC Changchun trains began commercial operation on 13 March.
- 2014
CRRC train order is placed
[1]ERL ordered six four-car trainsets from CRRC Changchun to expand capacity.
- 2013
KLIA2 extension opens
[1]The 2.14-kilometre extension to KLIA2 entered commercial service on 1 May.
- 2005
E-MAS becomes wholly owned by ERL
[1]ERL Maintenance Support ceased to be a Siemens joint venture and became fully owned by ERL.
- 2002
KLIA Ekspres launches
[1]The direct airport rail service began commercial operations on 14 April.
- 2002
KLIA Transit launches
[1]The commuter-oriented airport rail service, with three intermediate stops, began on 20 June.
- 1999
ERL Maintenance Support is established
[1]The operations and maintenance subsidiary now known as E-MAS was established with Siemens involvement.
- 1997
Government grants the airport rail concession
[1]Malaysia awarded ERL a 30-year concession to finance, build, maintain, and operate the airport railway.
- 1997
Construction begins
[1]Construction of the KLIA–KL Sentral airport railway began in May.
Products and positioning
A dedicated, high-speed airport rail operator focused on linking Kuala Lumpur International Airport with Kuala Lumpur Sentral and serving intermediate urban and airport-area stations.
Direct airport rail service · 2002
KLIA Ekspres
ERL’s non-stop airport railway service linking Kuala Lumpur International Airport with Kuala Lumpur Sentral. It is positioned around a direct journey between the airport and Kuala Lumpur’s principal transport hub, without the intermediate stops used by KLIA Transit.
Commuter airport rail service · 2002
KLIA Transit
A commuter-oriented service operating on the KLIA airport rail corridor. Unlike KLIA Ekspres, it serves three additional stations between KL Sentral and the airport, making it suitable for passengers and communities located along the route as well as airport travelers.
Rail operations and maintenance · 1999
ERL Maintenance Support
ERL’s operations and maintenance subsidiary, commonly called E-MAS. It supports the operation and maintenance of ERL trains and has also participated in overseas railway operations and maintenance work, including support for the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro Southern Line in Saudi Arabia.
Brand decisions
2024
Accept a long-term concession extension with revised commercial termsStrategyBackground
The original operating concession had been due to expire in 2017, and negotiations over its continuation lasted seven years.
Action taken
ERL’s concession was extended by 30 years to 2059. The revised arrangement allows market-based or variable fares and provides for the government to receive 30% of additional profit when the rate of return exceeds 10%.
Aftermath
The agreement provides a longer operating horizon while changing the framework for pricing and revenue sharing. ERL remains entitled to a share of departing-airport passenger service charges until 2029.
2014
Order additional CRRC Changchun trainsetsProduct launchBackground
ERL sought additional capacity for both airport rail services as ridership increased.
Action taken
The company ordered six four-car electric multiple units from CRRC Changchun, allocating two to KLIA Ekspres and four to KLIA Transit.
Aftermath
The trains were delivered progressively and entered commercial operation in 2018.
Recent events
Reported
ERL launches RM1 Joyride Weekend fare[2]
Express Rail Link launched a weekend fare of RM1 per ticket for stops along its line, available to customers paying through the app.
Reported
ERL launches KLIA Ekspres app and ExpreSmiles programme[3]
Express Rail Link launched the KLIA Ekspres app and ExpreSmiles loyalty programme for its airport-to-city rail services. The virtual launch was held the day before the article was published.
Sources3 sources
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