Shah Alam LRT Delayed Again, December Now In Sight

Commuters hoping to ride the new Shah Alam LRT will need to wait a little longer. The 37km line, once scheduled to open on September 30, is now aiming for a December launch, The Star reported.

The delay centres on the project’s toughest hurdle, known as the fault-free run. 

Each train must clock thousands of kilometres without breaking down before the line can open to the public. If even one significant fault appears, the entire mileage resets to zero, forcing the test to start all over again.

In a memo to staff, Prasarana Malaysia’s new president and CEO Amir Hamdan called for patience and even prayers. 
Photo: The Star. “God willing, the project will enter the fault-free run on August 25. We pray this test goes smoothly with no more delays so that we can complete the project in time for launch,” he wrote in a note titled 'Call to Prayer', which was sighted by The Star.

The first train must successfully complete 4,000 kilometres of testing, while the remaining sets must each log at least 2,000 kilometres. 

The trains also need to run the full stretch from Johan Setia in Klang to Bandar Utama in under an hour, with departures every six minutes, in order to move more than 18,000 passengers an hour in each direction. The delay contrasts with recent assurances.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke told Parliament in late July that the project was 99% complete. Yet, days earlier, Prasarana had already hinted that testing would continue until October, suggesting September was always a stretch.
For now, commuters are left waiting once again. The line is almost complete, but the final test will decide if Klang Valley gets a smoother ride by the end of the year.

Source: The Star.