Ministry waiting for report before acting against LRT track damage culprits

The Transport Ministry is still waiting for a complete report on the damaged railway track near the Bandaraya LRT station before deciding its next course of action.

Its minister Anthony Loke vowed that the culprits behind the kinked railroad will be held accountable.

“We do not want to pinpoint or make any conclusions before the report is finalised.

“But we will definitely get to the bottom of it and any parties responsible for the crack shall be held responsible,” Loke said during the launch of “Arts On The Move” at the Pasar Seni MRT Station today.

The Ampang-Sri Petaling Line LRT experienced delays because of an issue with the track alignment near the Bandaraya LRT station on Jan 27. 

Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd stated that an initial examination revealed that the kink was caused by damage to the flyover structure that supports the rail tracks, which happened due to construction work in the nearby vicinity.

In the same development, Loke touched on the prices of Express Rail Link (ERL) - a passenger train that connects the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and KL Sentral.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke

He acknowledged that there were complaints about the high prices of the tickets, adding that his ministry was willing to discuss with ERL Sdn Bhd to put a cap on the tickets.

Loke said he has already suggested to the rail company to consider providing passes for passengers that regularly ride to the KLIA, including airport staff.

“I have already brought this up to them (ERL) that the prices are a bit steep. I am aware that the airport staff have to go back and forth on the train, which costs them a lot of money.

“Hence, that’s why I have suggested providing a subsidised pass to ERL regulars.

“The Transport Ministry is always willing to discuss with any organisations to improve civilian travel,” he said.

Prasarana’s KPIs

As for his undercover rides on trains, Loke elaborated that these were efforts to monitor the current situation in the country’s public transportation system.

He stated that as of now, he had been keeping a close eye on Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.

“They had a lot of issues, a lot of train breakdowns and delays which caused the stations to be crowded.

“So, of course, I had to see it for myself. But so far, there have been a lot more improvements and most importantly, a lot more efforts to improve,” Loke said.

He said that in order to decrease issue reoccurrences, the ministry has set key performance indicators (KPIs) for the rail company to adhere to.

Loke added that he would be revealing the KPIs to the public soon, insisting that not only will he and his ministry monitor the company, but so will its passengers.

“Soon, I will make a proper announcement of the KPIs. 

“In fact, it will be made public so that the passengers and the media can scrutinise their operations when they need to,” he concluded.

Prior to this, Prasarana Malaysia Berhad and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) were requested by the minister to provide weekly audits on the maintenance status of their facilities. - Mkini