Train schedules leave much to be desired

I WAS among the many passengers on the KTM Electric Train Service (ETS) 9019 on Saturday (Oct 7) travelling from Padang Besar to KL Sentral. This particular train was scheduled to leave Padang Besar at 3.43pm and arrive KL Sentral at 9.16pm, as stated on the ticket.

Unfortunately, the ability of KTM to operate trains that arrive on time leaves much to be desired even though their schedules are specified to the minute.

On Saturday, ETS 9019 stopped near Rawang at about 9pm. An announcement was made that there were control problems at the train control centre at KL Sentral.

At 9.20pm, the train moved slowly but stopped again at 9.45pm at Sungai Buloh. The same announcement was made with no indication of the new arrival time at KL Sentral.

Passengers were left guessing and unable to plan their pick-ups and onward journeys due to lack of information. If given the information, passengers could have informed their family and friends and made alternative arrangements. I know of a passenger who could not use the LRT to get home because the train arrived at KL Sentral after the LRT had closed for the day. He had to incur additional expenses taking a taxi home.

Besides the delay, this is unacceptable behaviour on the part of KTM which caused great inconvenience to their customers.

At 10.13pm, the train continued its journey only to stop again at the Kepong Station at 10.32pm. It moved again at 10.35pm and finally arrived at KL Sentral at 11.10pm. The train was late by one hour and 50 minutes from its stated sched- uled arrival time of 9.16pm. This makes a mockery of KTM scheduling its trains by the minute. It might as well state “lebih kurang pukul... (at around...)”.

I understand from other passengers that these delays occur frequently. If this is indeed the case, then it is sheer incompetence on the part of KTM in managing and maintaining its train schedules. After all, KTM set the schedules and should be able to deliver departure and arrival times as promised to the customers.

KTM owes its customers an explanation on these delays and what is being done to remedy them.

KTM must buck up and improve its services.