Temporary closure of RapidKL Monorail for Signalling upgrade
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Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad for Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd. (2014). RapidKL Monorail Services To Stop On 12 And 13 April [Media Release]. Retrieved from http://www.myrapid.com.my/news-events/media-releases/2014/rapidkl-monorail-services-stop-12-and-13-april
KUALA LUMPUR, 18 March 2014 – The RapidKL monorail service will be temporarily stopped in the weekend of 12 and 13 April to facilitate the upgrading of its signalling system.
Commencing 12.01am on April 12 until 4am on April 14, the upgrading of the signalling system involves a 52-hour non-stop trial operation.
The RapidKL monorail service is expected to resume at 6am on April 14.
Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd, the operator of the RapidKL LRT and monorail services, in a statement, said the exercise was sanctioned by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), the regulator of land public transport services.
Rapid Rail Chief Executive Officer Haji Khairani Mohamed said special shuttle bus services would be deployed near the monorail stations to allow commuters to travel to the destinations along the monorail line seamlessly.
A flat fare of RM1 will be charged for each trip.
Khairani said the 52-hour closure was necessary to allow uninterrupted testing of the new signalling system.
“We wish to record our sincere apologies to our commuters for the inconvenience caused,” he said, adding that the current system has been in operations since 2003 when it was operated by KL Infra Sdn Bhd.
Taken over by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) in 2007, the government-owned company undertook the KL Monorail Fleet Expansion Project in 2011, a major project that includes the procurement of 12 new four-car trains, upgrading of the monorail stations, construction of a new depot, and the upgrading of the signalling system.
“The new signalling system would provide state-of-art features to enhance our services,” added Khairani, who is also Group Director for the Rail Division of Prasarana, the holding company of Rapid Rail.
Khairani said: “We will be making announcements from time to time through various channels to advise our commuters and members of the public on alternative public transport services, including the shuttle bus service.
“We aim to minimise any inconvenience to the public,” he said, adding that commuters can get travel updates at the RapidKL official website at www.myrapid.com.my or at the RapidKL Facebook page or through the RapidKL twitter with the handler @MyRapidKL.
Issued by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad for Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd.
Meanwhile, Singapore's NSEW Lines' services are also having their signalling system being upgraded.
Why can't the same be done over here, where certain sections of the MRT is closed one by one to upgrade signalling system?
for instance, the signalling system between Joo Koon and Jurong East can be upgraded first, before the signalling system between Jurong East and Redhill is upgraded.
then the trains can first run faster at the section between Joo Koon and Jurong East, before they can run faster at the section between Jurong East and Redhill.
#justsaying
This would accelerate the process.
Likewise for the on-going Sleeper replacement initiative...
