Nur Atiqah Norhaizad, the only female in a team of four technicians under Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd’s Depot Equipment Unit at the Rapid Rail Subang Complex (where the Kelana Jaya LRT line depot is located) in Ara Damansara, Selangor, works alongside her male colleagues to ensure every piece of machinery operates reliably.
PETALING JAYA: Behind the smooth daily operations of the Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) line lies the expertise of the team tasked with the demanding responsibility of ensuring that its depot’s machinery and equipment remain in good working condition.
Nur Atiqah Norhaizad, 28, the only female in a team of four technicians under Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd’s Depot Equipment Unit at the Rapid Rail Subang Complex (where the Kelana Jaya LRT line depot is located) in Ara Damansara, Selangor, works alongside her male colleagues to ensure every piece of machinery operates reliably.
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Nur Atiqah, who has been working at the depot for nearly three years, said even a minor breakdown involving depot machinery can trigger a domino effect that could affect train availability for daily operations.
She began her career in the technical field with a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Kolej Vokasional Taiping, Perak. She then worked for five years in the manufacturing and electronics sectors before joining Rapid Rail.
“I am responsible for all the machinery and equipment at the depot and have to ensure everything is in good working condition before it is used for train maintenance work.
“Among the equipment under my care is the mobile lifting jack, which is used to lift trains when components underneath them need to be replaced or repaired,” she told Bernama at the Rapid Rail Subang Complex recently.
Nur Atiqah said her team conducts preventive inspections in the morning, while repair work requiring more time is carried out in the afternoon under a two-shift system, from 8 am to 4.30 pm and 2.30 pm to 11 pm.
She said her experience handling machinery has enabled her to detect problems through unusual sounds, error codes displayed on control panels or physical changes in the equipment.
However, she acknowledged that the underfloor wheel lathe, which is used to maintain train wheels, remains her biggest challenge due to the complexity of its interconnected system.
“The machine takes a long time to repair, and we cannot predict when a breakdown will occur because we cannot inspect just one part. We have to examine the entire machine because all its components are interconnected,” she explained.
When a machine breaks down, Nur Atiqah and her team would refer to the error codes and machine manual to identify the cause before carrying out repairs. Contractors are called in when a problem cannot be resolved internally.
At times, her courage is also tested outside her comfort zone, including when she took part in a challenging recovery operation involving a train that had derailed at 2 am.
“My team and I went to the site to identify the damage and bring the necessary equipment to put the train back on the tracks before it was returned to the depot for further inspection,” she said, adding that the recovery operation was completed successfully at about 6.30 am the same day.
Nur Atiqah said such experiences, coupled with opportunities to undergo further training and the support of her teammates, have enabled her to expand her knowledge and master various types of equipment.
“Over the next five or 10 years, I hope to become a highly skilled senior technician with greater knowledge and expertise,” she said.
