KUALA LUMPUR: The theft of cables for signalling and communication systems on three Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad's (KTMB) northern routes caused disruption and train delays of more than 60 minutes for both the Northern Komuter and Electric Train Services (ETS).
In a statement on Monday (June 9), KTMB said among the affected locations were the Tapah Road-Sungkai (KM250.5) route with approximately 200m of cable stolen, Kamunting-Bukit Merah-Bagan Serai (KM87.25) with 110m stolen and Simpang Ampat-Bukit Mertajam (KM15.5) with 40m affected.
The incident disrupted train operations, causing significant delays of between 80 and 115 minutes involving EP9172 (KL Sentral-Butterworth), EG9321 (Butterworth-Segamat), EX9107 (Butterworth-KL Sentral), EX9207 (Padang Besar-KL Sentral) and EG9420 (Segamat-Padang Besar).
In addition, the Northern KTM Komuter service on the Ipoh-Butterworth-Ipoh route was also affected, with average delays of 30 minutes.
KTMB said early notifications of the disruptions were sent to passengers via SMS and KTMB's official social media platforms.
KTMB chief operating officer Mohd Zain Mat Taha in the same statement said 45 cases of cable theft have been recorded in the northern sector from January to May 2025.
"This type of theft amounts to sabotage of railway infrastructure and could threaten the safety of hundreds of passengers while also crippling public transportation," he said.
As a mitigation measure, KTMB announced a plan to upgrade its signalling network, involving an estimated cost of RM12.8mil annually over the next three years, with a focus on hotspot areas.
Among the planned improvements are installing manhole covers with special locking mechanisms at 21 locations, enhancing surveillance and prevention infrastructure including CCTV cameras and drones, and installing anti-climb security fencing.
Additionally, he said monitoring and patrols by KTMB auxiliary police with cooperation from the police would be intensified in hotspot areas to curb theft.
"We (KTMB) would like to call for the public's cooperation to report any suspicious activity to the authorities in order to combat such crime.
"We also apologise for any inconvenience experienced by passengers and remain committed to ensuring train service safety and reliability in the interest of the people and the country," he added.
Since 2024, total losses from cable theft in the northern sector has reached RM1.44mil, comprising RM1.28mil in 2024 and RM162,000 as of March 2025. – Bernama
