Prasarana Malaysia Bhd will find an immediate solution to problems related to the automatic train control (ATC) system of the Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line that has caused service disruption.
Prasarana group chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah said the company had yet to determine the root cause of the problem, and hoped that the expected arrival of the team from original equipment manufacturer Thales Group from Toronto, Canada, and Dubai on Thursday (Nov 10) would help to resolve the issue.
Mohd Azharuddin, in apologising to all parties, especially the commuters for the inconvenience caused, said the operator is doing everything possible to solve the problem.
“Why [stop the service for] seven days? We are trying to find a solution, but we cannot determine the root cause and are awaiting the experts from Canada…we need more time to assess what is the problem, find the root cause, and test our trains in a sustainable manner.
“They will help us find a solution regarding signals and communications between the trains and the vehicle control centre. This is an important matter, so that we know the trains’ locations for the safety of commuters…it is our most important priority,” he told a media conference here on Wednesday, Bernama cited.
The LRT service between the Kelana Jaya and Ampang Park stations has been suspended for seven days since 6am on Wednesday for passenger safety reasons, and to identify the cause of the service disruption.
Mohd Azharuddin said that before the service resumes next Wednesday (Nov 16), “we want to make sure we are able to run the trains safely and permanently”.
“We don’t want to start operating in the morning and then stop in the evening,” he said.
Asked about long-term solutions to the problem, he said Prasarana would change the ATC system now that it had received approval from its board of directors to upgrade the system.
“The problem this time is the system and software. The problem we faced with the trains [previously] involved brake clippers, but that was another issue. The Kelana Jaya LRT Line has been operating for nearly 25 years…the parts need to be replaced. It’s about time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd will provide up to 85 buses on five routes as an alternative bus service due to the LRT service disruption, with an expected frequency of around 15 to 20 minutes per bus.
