PETALING JAYA: Round-the-clock trial operations are now ongoing to ensure that the Shah Alam LRT (formerly LRT3) can be operational by the end of this month, say industry observers.
Project owner Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and its contractor is working around the clock to deliver the line that broke ground on Aug 24, 2016, while construction commenced in the second quarter of 2017.
The driverless LRT has already seen its completion date pushed back several times due to challenges in system integration and commissioning, among others.
Meanwhile, an industry source said the contractor for the project has already handed over the project to Prasarana last month, adding that the “fault free run” (FFR) had been completed.
The FFR – where the train is operated without passengers for testing purposes – involves each trainset clocking several thousand kilometres without showing faults such as train not stopping at the precise spot on the platform.
When contacted, Prasarana said it is not able to comment on the matter at this juncture.
The Star understands that Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd, the Prasarana subsidiary that will be operating the LRT, has submitted the application for an operating licence to Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), though officials familiar with the matter say the application still has to complete internal testing and undergo safety processes as required by authorities.
On March 2, Prasarana group chief executive officer Amir Hamdan said that the FFR tests for the third train set, involving eight trains, are now “in the final stage”, adding that any approval for operations will depend on the “safety assessor’s” decision.
However, there has not been any further updates since then.
In Malaysia, any new line needs the nod from Apad before it can be granted an operating licence.
The LRT was originally slated to start operations on Sept 30 last year, but this was deferred.
In February, a new target was given, which is June.
According to an industry source who is not involved in delivering the project, the driverless train system has yet to meet stipulated performance standards, such as maintaining six-minute train frequencies during peak hours and completing the full end-to-end journey within 60 minutes.
