KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 -- The decision to deploy diesel trains for the KTM Shuttle Selatan service was a pragmatic move to ensure commuters have immediate access to transport rather than facing years of waiting, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

Loke was addressing public concerns regarding the use of diesel trains, explaining that the choice was based on a critical timeline. With the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Tracking project now complete, the Electric Train Service (ETS) has taken over the primary route, leaving the previous diesel fleet available.

According to Loke, the Ministry of Transport faced two choices: wait two to three years for 10 new electric multiple unit (EMU) train sets to be manufactured, or deploy existi...