Investigation into Kuala Gris incident ready in two weeks, says KTMB

KUALA KRAI: A comprehensive investigation into the incident of a Shuttle Timuran 51 train that did not stop at Hentian Kuala Gris in Kuala Gris on Sunday (Jan 9) is expected to be completed within two weeks.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) chief operating officer Mohd Zain Mat Taha said an investigation panel was set up to look into various aspects such as technical, operational and running patterns of the train.

"The panel will scrutinise the incident in detail and is expected to be ready in two weeks. Once the investigation panel’s assessment is completed, it will be submitted to the management for appropriate action against the staff involved,” he told reporters after inspecting at the Hentian Kuala Gris here on Monday (Jan 10).

He also added that four staff involved in the incident were temporarily suspended pending investigation, namely the driver, assistant driver, train supervisor and ticketing inspector.

"We will also call a few more KTMB staff as witnesses to complete the investigation. KTMB is of the view that this incident should not have happened and assures that a similar incident would not recur in the future,” he added.

Recently, the media reported that about 100 students of Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Dabong could not attend class on the first day of the third term when the train taking them to the school did not stop at the station concerned.

A check by Bernama at the Hentian Kuala Gris at 6.30 am on Monday found many students who were stranded on Sunday were at the platform to use the train service to commute to the school.

Meanwhile, a Form Five student, Nurul Fatin Alia Azman said Sunday's incident was the first time it had happened during her use of the train service.

"I have been using the train service since I was 13 to commute between school and home. I will continue to use this transportation as it is very comfortable and saves time,” she added.

A Form Three student, Nur Basyirah Darwisya Razali, hopes that the incident will not happen again because most of the students from Kampung Kuala Gris use the service as the main transportation. - Bernama