KLIA Aerotrain allegedly malfunctioned after reopening due to tunnel flooding from heavy rainfall
The new Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Aerotrain service in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, reportedly faced technical issues after resuming operations on Tuesday (1 July), attracting criticism from travellers.
On Wednesday (2 July), a Facebook user, Ahmad Ramadzan Soid, shared a photo of two officials attending the Aerotrain at KLIA 1.
In the post, Mr Ahmad wrote that one of the trains had malfunctioned. However, he pointed out that the other one was still running.
No explanation was shared on the reason behind this alleged malfunction and whether it had caused major disruption.
Source: Ahmad Ramadzan Soid on Facebook
In another Facebook post on 4 July, one user shared a photo of people taking the bus, reportedly after the Aerotrain had failed to operate.
“I expected it but so soon?” the post said.
Reopened after being out of service for over 2 years
According to Malay Mail, the Aerotrain service had been halted for over two years due to upgrading works. The project cost a total of RM456 million (S$137 million).
The train, whose cabins have been upgraded to Alstom Innovia APM 300R, serves as an essential connection between the main terminal of KLIA and the satellite terminal.
The relaunch was officiated by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who commended the train for its improved efficiency and comfort.
The upgraded system can accommodate up to 270 passengers per train and reach speeds of 56 km/h, completing each trip in under three minutes.
Source: SBS2838M on Flickr. For illustrative purposes only.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) stated that the new trains underwent six months of comprehensive testing before being reintroduced to the public.
Disrupted by tunnel flooding from heavy rain
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) later confirmed that an Aerotrain disruption occurred on 4 July at around 11am.
It revealed that the disruption was caused by water that had accumulated in its tunnel following heavy rainfall.
It said one of the tunnel’s drainage pumps experienced a technical fault during severe weather.
Services resumed at 12.15pm following the deployment of technical teams who effectively managed the manual removal of water from the tracks.
Also read: Bukit Panjang LRT suffers morning disruption on 3 July due to power fault
Bukit Panjang LRT suffers morning disruption on 3 July due to power fault
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Featured image adapted from Ahmad Ramadzan Soid on Facebook and SBS2838M on Flickr.
