Passengers on the Ampang/Sri Petaling LRT Line had a frightening start to their morning after a train derailed while passing through the track switch area at the Chan Sow Lin station, leaving commuters stranded and forced to evacuate on foot along the tracks.
Photos and videos circulating on social media showed the train tilted slightly off the tracks, with its front section appearing misaligned before coming to a halt.
Passengers told to get off at Pandan Jaya station
Several commuters took to Threads to share their experience, saying the incident happened at around 6am today while they were travelling towards Sentul Timur.
According to their posts, passengers were instructed to alight at Pandan Jaya station and continue their journey using replacement buses.
One video uploaded by a passenger showed a large group of commuters walking along the tracks after leaving the train.
The passenger also wrote in the comments: “I felt like death was getting closer. I was sleepy at first, but I suddenly became fully awake.”
Rapid KL: Track switch failure caused derailment
In a Facebook statement, Rapid KL confirmed that train services on the Ampang/Sri Petaling Line were delayed after a track switch failure at Chan Sow Lin station caused a train to derail while passing through the area.
The company also confirmed that photos of the incident circulating on social media were genuine.
According to Rapid KL, there were 25 passengers on board the affected train at the time of the incident.
All passengers were safely evacuated according to standard safety procedures, and no injuries have been reported so far.
Alternative train and bus services activated
Rapid KL said it has activated several emergency arrangements to help affected commuters.
This includes segmented train services between the following stations:
- Sentul Timur to Pudu, with trains running at around 4 minute intervals
- Cheras to Bandar Tasik Selatan, with trains running at around 8 minute intervals
- Ampang to Pandan Jaya, with trains running at around 5 minute intervals
- Putra Heights to Bandar Tasik Selatan, with trains running at around 4 minute intervals
Two free shuttle bus routes have also been provided, with one running between Hang Tuah, Chan Sow Lin, Maluri and Pandan Jaya, while another will run between Hang Tuah, Chan Sow Lin and Cheras, with buses arriving every 15 to 20 minutes.
Rapid KL has also advised passengers travelling to and from the city centre to use the Putrajaya Line and interchange at Sungai Besi station.
