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TRANSPORT authorities have launched an independent investigation into the derailment of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) train near Chan Sow Lin Station, with repair works expected to take several days and full service normalisation likely to take up to 10 days.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said restoration efforts on the affected Ampang/Sri Petaling Line would begin once the derailed train is removed from the tracks, a process scheduled to start on Friday using heavy lifting equipment.
“After the train is removed, repair works on the tracks will begin and this will take between three and five days,” he said during a press conference after inspecting the site at Chan Sow Lin LRT Station.
“It is expected that the track will be operational again on Wednesday, June 3, after the long weekend holiday, and conditions will take almost a week or 10 days to fully return to normal,” he added.
The disruption has forced rail operators to implement temporary operational changes along the affected route.
Loke said trains travelling from Ampang to Sentul Timur are currently required to stop at Chan Sow Lin before reversing direction back towards Ampang to allow repair crews access to the damaged section of track.
One of the rail lines remains unusable because the derailed train is still positioned on the tracks pending removal by crane.
Preliminary investigations found that the first carriage of the train had remained on the correct track heading towards Putra Heights, while subsequent carriages veered onto the line leading towards Ampang.
Authorities are now focusing investigations on a suspected malfunction involving the railway switching system, commonly referred to as the “switch station”.
“The actual cause involving the track switch system or switch station not functioning properly is still being investigated in detail,” the minister said.
Despite the disruption, all stations along the Ampang and Sri Petaling lines remain operational and continue accepting passengers, although commuters are required to change trains at several stations including Chan Sow Lin and Pudu.
Train frequency during the disruption period has also been reduced, with waiting times expected to range between six and eight minutes.
Separately, the Transport Ministry has established an independent special task force to conduct a full investigation into the derailment, with a maximum period of 30 days allocated to complete its findings.
Anthony said the investigation would examine all possible causes, including human error, system malfunction and maintenance failures.
“This special task force will be given a maximum of 30 days to prepare a report and the report will be submitted to the Cabinet for further action,” he said.
“Whether it is human error, system damage or system failure, that needs to be identified.”
The inquiry will also assess operational procedures involving signalling systems, train control systems, command centre operations and the personnel on duty during the incident.
Anthony stressed that the task force would operate independently and would not include representatives from Prasarana Malaysia Berhad in order to ensure transparency and impartiality.
“The report will also be made public as transparency for the public,” he said.
The independent task force will be led by Tan Chee Kee, who currently heads Malaysia’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau. - May 29, 2026
