Transport Minister Anthony Loke said repair works on the damaged track would begin immediately after the derailed train is removed today.
PETALING JAYA: Services on the affected section of the Ampang–Sri Petaling Line are expected to resume on Wednesday (June 3) following repair works after a train derailed near Chan Sow Lin LRT Station yesterday.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said repair works on the damaged track would begin immediately after the derailed train is removed today.
“The derailed train will be lifted and removed today. Once the train is removed, repair works on the track will begin and are expected to take between three and five days.
“The track is expected to be reactivated on Wednesday, after the long weekend holiday,” he said during a site inspection today.
However, Loke said it could take between one week and 10 days for operations to fully return to normal, as train speeds would initially be controlled once services resume.
He also said that, for the time being, trains travelling from Ampang towards Sentul Timur would temporarily stop at the affected station before reversing direction to allow space for repair works to be carried out.
“One of the tracks cannot be used at the moment because the derailed train is still on the rail line and needs to be removed using a crane,” he said.
Loke said preliminary findings indicated that the switching system, which was supposed to direct the train towards Putra Heights, malfunctioned during the incident.
“The first coach was on the correct track, but the subsequent coaches were diverted onto the track heading towards Ampang.
“This caused the six-coach train to be pulled in two different directions, resulting in the first and second coaches derailing,” he said.
He added that the cause of the switching system malfunction must be thoroughly investigated, as the system was designed to function automatically.
Following the incident, Loke said the Transport Ministry had established an independent special task force to investigate the derailment, separate from Prasarana Malaysia Berhad’s internal investigation.
He said the task force would determine whether the incident was caused by human error, equipment malfunction, or system failure.
The task force will be led by Air Accident Investigation Bureau director-general Tan Chee Kee and supported by railway engineering experts.
Loke said the task force had been given 30 days to submit its findings, which would later be presented to the Cabinet and made public for transparency.
Meanwhile, the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) will also open an investigation paper into the incident.
Despite the derailment, Loke said all other stations remain operational, although train frequency at affected stations would be slower over the next few days, with intervals of around six to eight minutes between trains.
He described the derailment as a “very serious incident” despite no injuries being reported.
“We are fortunate that the train had not yet reached maximum speed when the derailment occurred during a track switch outside the station,” he said.
Loke stressed that derailment incidents could pose significant risks to passenger safety and said the government was committed to ensuring transparency, accountability, and stronger safety measures within the public rail system.
Yesterday, he instructed Apad to impose the “maximum possible penalty” on Prasarana Malaysia Berhad following the LRT derailment incident.
Loke said the ministry was taking a firm stance on the matter and would not compromise on public safety issues.
