Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has postponed the opening of the Shah Alam LRT Line, emphasising that passenger safety must come first and avoiding any repeat of the 2021 Kelana Jaya LRT collision that injured over 200 passengers.
According to Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, founder and CEO of MY Mobility Vision, the construction work on the line is nearly complete, but the technology running the trains is far more complex.
"The Shah Alam LRT is fully automated (GoA4), meaning the system controls speed, braking, doors, and train spacing entirely via software. Even a minor glitch could cause a train to brake suddenly or disrupt schedules
“Each train must complete a fault-free run (FFR) as required by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD)
“If a problem occurs, testing must start over. It may not be popular, but it’s necessary to make sure passengers are truly safe," he told The Star.
He added that many countries, including Singapore, the UK, and Australia, have delayed the launch of automated rail lines at the last minute to deal with software integration issues.
“In modern rail systems, postponing safety is normal. What’s unusual is opening a system that isn’t fully stable,” Wan Agyl added.
Samirul Ariff Othman, senior consultant at Global Asia Consulting, said extending the testing period is a principled decision, not an unnecessary delay.
“It prioritises system reliability and passenger safety. Rushing the launch could lead to trains stopping mid-track, brake failures, repeated delays, and a damaged public image
"Addressing all issues before operations start prevents costly repairs and long-term negative perception," he noted in the same report.
Source: The star.
