SHAH ALAM, Dec 10 — The Shah Alam LRT Line (LRT3) will only kick off after repairs and technical improvements are completed, after various issues were found during the testing and commissioning (T&C) phase, said Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.
It said it identified multiple safety, operational and performance-related issues while undergoing the fault-free run (FFR) stage, which began on August 26 as part of the T&C.
These issues require corrective action before the system can be accepted and considered ready for public operation, it added.
“Eleven FFR attempts have been carried out so far. However, the required mileage has yet to be achieved due to several technical issues identified during the process,” it said in a statement today.
According to Prasarana, for the main “Golden Train”, the FFR test requires continuous operation over a distance of 4,000km without any failures. For other train sets in the same group, the test mileage is 3,000km, while the remaining trains must complete 2,500km before being approved for operation.
“Over 2.5 months, the contractor identified 33 issues involving software errors and system disruptions,” it added.
Among the issues were failure to stop accurately at platforms, which caused the train doors to malfunction; trains being unable to proceed automatically to the next station; and train movements not matching the programmed speed.
This confirms news reports over the past few days that the LRT3 would be delayed due to issues during its testing.
On November 17, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the LRT3 was to start operating on December 31.
Prasarana said all issues are being analysed by the contractor, and software improvement works are underway to ensure system stability, accuracy and reliability.
It added that these fixes must be completed before the project can proceed to trial runs, trial operations, an independent engineer’s report, and application for an operation licence from the authorities.
Prasarana said there will be no compromise on safety, reliability and system stability, in line with strict standards set by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD).
“Only after all systems are functioning at an optimal level and all issues have been resolved will the line be considered for operation,” it added.
The main contractor for the project is Setia Utama LRT3 Sdn Bhd (SULRT3), while Prasarana is the asset owner.
