SINGAPORE - Malaysian health officials have begun screening passengers at a Malaysia-owned train station in the heart of Singapore in a bid to ease Sars fears and encourage travel, the rail operator said today.

KTM Berhad said the screening using ear thermometers started o­n Wednesday at the Tanjong Pagar train station here.

Two high tech thermal scanners will be installed by Monday to screen passengers for fever, a symptom of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).

Increasing public faith

The measures are expected to "result in an increase in the public's faith to travel by rail," KTM said in a statement.

More than 7,000 passengers travel between Singapore and Malaysia by train every week.

KTM had earlier said it was suspending the main train services to Kuala Lumpur because of falling volumes due to the health scare sparked by Sars.

Malaysia's ownership of the Tanjung Pagar train station within Singapore dates back to colonial times. AFP