Daily crush on the KL–Seremban Komuter exposes poor crowd control, turning routine commutes into a stressful struggle for space and safety
THE Kuala Lumpur–Seremban Komuter line is one of the busiest rail routes in the country, operating about 18 services daily from 6am to midnight.
Trains run hourly during off-peak periods while peak-hour services arrive every 20 to 30 minutes.
The line is especially crowded on weekdays. Even before 5pm, platforms at Kuala Lumpur Sentral are packed with commuters waiting for the Seremban-bound train. Long queues form at the designated boarding spots but when the train arrives, passengers rush in to secure seats.
Last Tuesday evening, I experienced the chaos firsthand. I was swept into the coach by the overwhelming crowd on the platform. Within moments, passengers were packed like sardines.
At Mid Valley, even more passengers forced their way into the already crowded coach. There was hardly any space left. At later stops such as Serdang, Kajang and Bandar Tasik Selatan, more passengers were still waiting to board.
There appeared to be little crowd control on the platforms. Many passengers also stood near the doorways, worsening congestion and delaying boarding. To address this daily ordeal, KTMB should introduce stricter crowd management and an orderly queuing system. Officials should be stationed at key stops during peak hours while the number of passengers boarding each coach should also be controlled.
For many working Malaysians, commuting home on this line has become a stressful and exhausting experience.
Samuel Yesuiah
Seremban
