KUALA LUMPUR: Rapid KL will be pruning and removing around 20 to 25 trees along the Ampang/Sri Petaling LRT line which have been identified as being at risk of falling onto the rail track.
In a statement today, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana) said the work is needed to reduce the possibility of fallen branches and trees hitting the rail track and causing disruption to the train services.
Rapid KL has been carrying out tree-felling activities since 2019 around Maluri, Pandan Jaya, Chan Sow Lin and Cheras LRT stations for the same reason.
"At the moment, we have identified around 20 to 25 trees at grid along the rail track to be felled and we will continue the tree-felling work until it is done.
"We will be working with numerous third parties including Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, the Drainage and Irrigation Department, National Sports Council as well as (other) local authorities to work on trees that are out of alignment.
"We will be working closely with them, as our passengers' safety is our main priority," the statement said.
The announcement came after train passengers faced a service disruption due to fallen trees on the LRT rail yesterday.
"Due to strong winds and thunderstorms, 13 trees fell and hit the LRT rail track around Maluri, Pandan Jaya, Chan Sow Lin and Cheras stations, causing service disruption to the Ampang/Sri Petaling Line LRT.
"The trees that had fallen were located within the Rapid KL alignment. The incident, which started around 6.39pm stranded two LRT trains in the middle of the track, after a tree fell near the Maluri and Cheras station.
"Passenger evacuation and rescue works were done carefully due to the weather conditions, as the drizzling rain caused slippery and muddy ground surface, as well as the risk of lightning strikes.
"All 1,150 passengers were successfully evacuated from the trains, and the rescue process was completed at 10.20pm," said the statement.
Train services from East Sentul Station to Hang Tuah Station and Putra Heights Station to Bukit Jalil Station were still operating during the incidents.
"Passengers bound for the Bukit Jalil Station boarded a shuttle train heading towards Salak Selatan Station.
"Meanwhile, passengers from Ampang Station were ferried to the Hang Tuah station using a free shuttle bus, and they continued their journey from there," said the statement.
Prasarana said the track cleaning and inspection work was conducted last night to ensure the rail track was safe.
"Further investigation will be conducted by Rapid KL to identify the level of damage suffered by the two trains.
"We apologise for the service disruptions occurred yesterday and the inconvenience faced by the passengers," said the statement.