IT WAS indeed a chaotic experience as we got to know the dilemma of disgruntled commuters taking the KTM Komuter from KL Sentral to Klang.
A man was seen running into the women’s coach as the three-car carriage was full but was immediately escorted out by KTM’s security personnel.
However, looking at this scenario, he was not to be blamed as within seconds the carriage was packed with people. Those standing had to hold on to the steel poles and overhead handles for some form of stability as the train started to gain speed.
Big crowd: Passengers waiting to board a Komuter train heading to Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang at KL Sentral. With limited train handles to hold on to, many had no choice but to lean against doors, including connecting doors to another section in the carriage.
Jowhar Allaudin, 34, who works with an oil and gas company in Kuala Lumpur, said although she had been taking the train for the past two years, she could not imagine how others who had been using it for years managed to cope with the problems.
“I have only been taking the KTM Komuter for two years and I am already fed up with it. I don’t know how others put up with the congestion and the delay in schedule.
“The trains are always late and you would be lucky if it is only for 15 minutes,” she said, adding that last year she and other commuters were forced to find other modes of transport because the train broke down in Pantai Dalam and they had to wait for two hours before another one was sent.
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) student Hafizie Yusof said he was never on time for his classes in Shah Alam as the train was always late.
The 19-year-old law student from Ampang said he had been taking the Komuter for the past one and a half years now and through his experience, the train never followed its schedule.
“I am always late by 30 minutes for my first class despite taking the earliest train. But I am lucky because my lecturer understands the situation,” he said, adding that he gets off at the Padang Jawa station.
Holding on for dear life: Commuters clutching a pole in a KTM Komuter train to keep their balance. Hafizie said he also had to keep his belongings safely as one of his friends had lost his wallet while taking a KTM Komuter packed with people.
N. Tamilkalai, 60, said he took the train from Rawang and got off at the Subang Jaya KTM station.
“When it first started, the trains were travelling at 15-minute intervals and then it started to deteriorate to 30 to 50 minutes.
“The other problem is that the trains break down quite often.
“Maintenance work should be done and worn out parts should be replaced,” he said, adding that it was difficult for students and passengers who need to attend classes and report to work.
Tamilkalai also said KTM should install more handles to hold on to as the present ones were insufficient.
During the one-hour journey to Klang, the air-conditioning system was also not powerful enough.
“Can you imagine what it is like travelling in a packed commuter train with no air-conditioning after a long waiting time?” asked Sornavalli Sethu.
The 40-year-old, who has been taking the KTM Komuter from Port Klang to work for the past 12 years, said it was difficult to breathe in such a situation and because of this she had frequent headaches.
Sornavalli said there had never been a day the train followed its schedule.
“I underwent a knee operation recently and I cannot stand for too long. Because of all the stress, I now have high blood pressure as well,” she said, adding that she relies on the KTM Komuter because it stops at the Putra station, which is near her office at Putra World Trade Centre.
Azhan Aizat, 23, who works with Bank Rakyat, said the train was always jam-packed during peak hours.
He said the journey from Shah Alam to Bank Negara usually took about an hour but if there was a delay or if the train broke down, it could ruin your day.
The journey ended in Klang with a bulk of the passengers getting down at Subang Jaya KTM station and Shah Alam, and we later boarded the train back to KL Sentral.
The scene at the KTM Komuter station at KL Sentral on a weekday at 6pm was like any other — crowded. Commuters were queuing up at the platform to go to Seremban.
The time on the prompter shows that the train would be delayed and it would only arrive in the next 15 minutes. The place was also filling up with tired workers and students.
Form Five student Ashwinder Singh, 17, said security needed to be beefed up at the platforms and in the carriages.
“Pickpockets have become a norm these days at the train stations when there is a crowd. What is worse is that the commuters tend to push one another while getting into the trains. One of my friends lost his iPhone while boarding the train at KL Sentral,” he said.
Delay in the service has also been a problem for Ashwinder who takes the KTM Komuter every day from Rawang to Mid Valley.
“Acquiring new trains is a good idea and could reduce the waiting time for commuters.
“However, something needs to be done about the schedule,” he said.
One commuter, who only wanted to be known as Hani, said she was once stranded when the train broke down on the way to Seremban from KL Sentral.
“It was during Ramadan and we had to break fast on the train, which stalled for five hours. Luckily we had some dates to break fast with.
“I finally reached Seremban at 9.30pm,” said the legal adviser.
She added that there was also no explanation from KTM officials when the train broke down.
Travel agent Wilsen Dominikus, 25, who takes the train every day from Mid Valley to Nilai, said he had witnessed fights between people rushing to board the trains.
“Sometimes I have to wait for over an hour for the train to arrive. The system needs an overhaul. Even when the cars are full, people still push one another to get in. The elderly are often not given seats sometimes,” said Dominikus.
He added that men could also be seen taking up space in the women’s only coach.
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