YAN: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) is taking more proactive measures by stepping up its awareness campaign on the dangers of trepassing on its 1,655 km of railway tracks nationwide.
KTMB CEO Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin said the measure is important as there are still cases of intrusion on KTM railway lines which affects its operations due to collisions with humans and livestock.
“We will create greater awareness at hotspots to reduce such cases including yearly-long campaign to educate the people living near stations on safety aspects.
“Other efforts included safety briefings at education institutions, the public places ... we will also update our warning signboards and use closed-circuit television to monitor safety at railway lines,” he told Bernama at a 2019 Northern Region KTMB & You programme at the foothill of Gunung Jerai, Guar Chempedak, near here today.
Also present was State Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Transport and Primary Industries Committee chairman Azman Nasrudin.
In this regard, Mohd Rani said 17 people were killed in crashes with trains at various locations along KTMB’s 1,655 km of railway lines last year.
He said there were 53 cases of collision involving livestock animals while there were 86 cases of thefts of KTMB’s railway equipment and cable, as well as 14 incidents of stone throwing at trains.
“During the period, KTMB recorded losses of almost RM200,000 to replace damaged equipment and stolen assets,” he said and added that 170 were also arrested for trepassing railway tracks. - Bernama
