Passengers travelling between Kuala Lumpur city and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) faced train disruptions on Monday (Oct 12) after two incidents involving stolen signalling cables affected rail operations.
Express Rail Link (ERL), the operator of KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit, said the incidents occurred along the line between Putrajaya and Cyberjaya station and Salak Tinggi station, forcing it to introduce modified train services while repair work continued.
The first incident involved the theft of about 180 metres of signalling cable at around 9pm on Sunday near kilometre 44 of the railway line.
While technical teams were working to restore the system, a second incident was detected at about 5.22am on Monday at kilometre 42, involving the theft of another 80 metres of cable.
The repeated damage prolonged recovery efforts and disrupted normal train operations during the morning travel period.
Combined train services introduced
In an initial service update at 6am, KLIA Ekspres said trains would operate on a combined-service arrangement, running every 20 minutes from both KL Sentral and KLIA Terminal 2 and stopping at all stations.
Passengers initially had to use shuttle services and change trains at Putrajaya and Cyberjaya station to continue their journeys towards the city or airport.
The operator subsequently introduced connecting shuttle trains between the affected stations. Services from KLIA Terminal 2 towards Putrajaya and Cyberjaya began at 9.10am, while services from KL Sentral started at 9.20am. The shuttle trains operated at 15-minute intervals.
At 11.20am, ERL resumed the combined train service, with trains running every 20 minutes in both directions and stopping at all stations.
However, normal operations had not yet been fully restored, and passengers were advised to allow additional time for their journeys.
Passengers urged to check service updates
ERL said its technical team was working to restore the signalling system safely and as quickly as possible.
The operator apologised for the inconvenience and thanked passengers for their patience and understanding.
Travellers were advised to check the latest service announcements and seek assistance from station personnel before travelling, particularly those with flights to catch.
The incidents highlight how damage to railway signalling infrastructure can affect an entire service, even when the tracks themselves remain usable.
Cable theft raises concerns over railway infrastructure
The two incidents involved a combined total of approximately 260 metres of signalling cable.
Signalling systems are essential for safe train operations, helping control train movements and maintain appropriate spacing between services. Damage to these systems can require operators to reduce train frequency or implement alternative arrangements until the infrastructure is checked and repaired.
Authorities and the operator had not announced a timeline for the full restoration of normal services in the updates available on Monday.
For airport-bound passengers, the key concern remained allowing enough time to reach the terminals while the railway operator continued its repair and recovery work.
