KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) is offering free rides to Klang Valley KTM Komuter passengers on Feb 10 and 11 in conjunction with the Thaipusam festival, which falls on Feb 11.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the free rides would be available from midnight to 11.59 pm, using the check-out scanning mechanism at the automatic control gates (ACG).

He announced that additional KTM Komuter services would operate around the clock for four days from Feb 9 to 12 and the Port Klang-Tanjung Malim-Port Klang route would operate on a full travel schedule throughout the celebration.

"This initiative is aimed at meeting passenger demand, particularly Hindu devotees, tourists, and members of the public who wish to experience the uniqueness of the Thaipusam celebration at Batu Caves.

"We expect nearly 500,000 passengers to benefit from this service, marking a 10 per cent increase from last year, with peak travel expected on Feb 11," he told a press conference at the Batu Caves KTM Station here today.