Rail service reliability in Malaysia has improved dramatically, with Prasarana’s annual disruptions falling from 252 cases in 2022 to just 31 last year.
PETALING JAYA: Rail services operated by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd recorded a significant improvement in reliability over the past three years.
The number of annual service disruptions was reduced from 252 cases in 2022 to just 31 cases in 2025.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the improvement was measured using the Mean Kilometre Between Failures indicator.
It showed one disruption occurred for every 790,000 kilometres of operation in 2025, compared with just 60,000 kilometres in 2022.
“This improvement reflects the outcome of Prasarana’s sustained emphasis on maintenance, system repairs and the implementation of a predictive maintenance approach over the past three years,” he said.
Loke was speaking at the presentation of the Prasarana Performance Report 2025 and the 2026 Plan.
However, the Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit Line continued to record unsatisfactory performance.
It reported 16 disruptions throughout 2025 compared with 26 cases in 2024.
A disruption is defined as a train being stationary at a station for more than five minutes.
This causes a knock-on effect on operations at subsequent stations, particularly during peak hours.
Loke said the main causes involve multiple factors, including system issues and external elements beyond control.
These external elements include cable theft and adverse weather conditions.
“When cable theft occurs, the signalling system is affected and driverless trains such as the Mass Rapid Transit and the Kelana Jaya LRT Line will stop immediately for safety reasons,” he said.
Loke said Prasarana is implementing system and communication upgrades for the Kelana Jaya LRT Line.
The second phase of the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
On asset expansion, he said 26 new train sets for the Kelana Jaya LRT Line have been awarded to the main contractor.
Three additional train sets have been allocated for monorail services.
“New trains require about three years before they can be fully operational as they must undergo various stages of testing and safety certification,” he said.
In addition, 50 existing train sets will undergo an overhaul as their operational lifespan requires comprehensive maintenance after 15 years of service.
Meanwhile, Prasarana Group president and chief executive officer Amir Hamdan said the agency recorded 1.63 million daily passenger journeys, the highest in its history.
The average daily passenger journeys throughout 2025 also increased significantly by 11% to 1.31 million.
This is compared with 1.18 million in the previous year.
“This achievement demonstrates the growing strength and consistency in the reliability of rail and bus service operations,” he said.
Amir also said the level of service of Rapid Bus improved to 1,355 units, compared with 1,165 in the previous year.
Efforts to modernise the bus fleet are ongoing, with the procurement of 310 new diesel buses being delivered in stages.
This is expected to be fully completed by February.
