I am writing on behalf of thousands of folks living in the Batang Berjuntai/Batu Arang area, imploring the government and KTM to rebuild the dismantled railway line between Kuang-Batu Arang-Batang Berjuntai.

In 1915, a railway track branching from the main KTM line in Kuang to Batu Arang opened, followed three years later by an extension of that branch to Batang Berjuntai. The Japanese dismantled the part between Batu Arang and Batang Berjuntai during WWII, and the line to Batu Arang itself from Kuang was closed down and dismantled in 1971. Mixed passenger train services between Kuang and Batu Arang then were quite frequent before then, and the main means of commuting to other towns.

The only public means of transport between Batu Arang now and the outside world is a single bus service every two hours bus service (Route 207) from Rawang. There is the occasional service by the minibus service (Route 66) but this is far from adequate. Even then, these two services terminate in Rawang. There is no direct service to Kuala Lumpur, or even the Selangor state capital Shah Alam.

For a state proclaiming to be developed, the situation of public transport for northwest Selangor is nothing short of unbecoming and embarrassing. Forget driving - one should check and see the treacherous condition of the road connecting Batu Arang and Rawang. It is hard to believe it is in the so-called developed state of Selangor with its devilish ups, downs and sudden turns and curves.

I would like to call upon the Ministry of Transport and Keretapi Tanah Melayu to consider rebuilding the line to Batu Arang from its original branch point in Kuang, and introduce passenger train services again. The area is now growing thanks to new townships such as Bandar Tasik Puteri which is located very close to the old track path. There are dozens of factories near Kundang where the track used to go through. The track line itself is relatively intact, and old bridges of the railway line can still be seen.

After having for decades supplied the coal that powered the former Jalan Travers electric power plant in Kuala Lumpur, the least that the government can do for this town is to make sure it is not forgotten and easy to reach - especially when it is part of a developed state.