This morning, services for the Ampang line LRT were disrupted following the discovery of a kink in the track near the Bandaraya station. Regarding the situation, the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) will recommend to Kuala Lumpur mayor (DBKL) Mahadi Che Ngah that development and restricted activities in the railway protection zone be suspended immediately.
The agency said that the recommendation was submitted in accordance with Regulation 8 of P.U.(A) 367 until the actual cause of the disruption is known and all aspects and safety requirements are complied with by the project owner. It did not name the project owner responsible for the incident.
Kemaskini Laluan Ampang/Sri Petaling: Kemaskini perkhidmatan tren alternatif:
1. Tren dari Ampang dan Putra Heights akan berpatah balik di Stesen Hang Tuah (Kekerapan tren 10 minit di Bukan Daerah Pusat Perniagaan, 5 minit di Daerah Pusat Perniagaan)
— Ask Rapid KL (@askrapidkl) January 27, 2023
Based on preliminary inspection and observation, APAD stated that some of the development activity near the railway track and in the LRT second reserve area was happening without any consultation with the agency, despite it being required by regulation. “APAD views this issue seriously and is working with the related agencies such as DBKL, Public Works Department (PWD), and Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) to identify the real cause of the incident,” the agency stated.
Prasarana, which owns and operates Rapid KL, has been instructed to provide sufficient alternative services for the high number of commuters that will be affected by the disruption, especially during peak hours. They will also need to give continuous updates to the public regarding the situation.
While the full situation is still being assessed, Rapid KL said earlier this morning that it believes that the kink in the track was caused by the cracks seen on the main pillar of a flyover, a sign of structural damage. As a safety precaution, the operator disrupted the Ampang line service with trains on the line turning back.
To accommodate the affected passengers, Rapid KL has deployed 23 shuttle buses to ferry commuters. As of writing, it is still unknown when operations for the line will return to normal.
( Source: APAD/Twitter)
