"It Rained In The KTM" — My Experience Travelling Via KTM One Thursday Afternoon
The leak in the Pulau Sebang-bound KTM also left several seats wet.
I've been a frequent traveller on the KTM Komuter since 2006, experiencing everything from regular schedule disruptions to cancelled trains, but I've never once experienced "rain" inside the train
16 January was a pretty normal afternoon until I stepped onto the Pulau Sebang-bound KTM Komuter train in Bangi.
I was on my way to Seremban when I boarded a coach that seemed to be less crowded. To my surprise, the train floor looked wet.
"Did Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) give the train a wash or something?" I wondered, scanning the coach for vacant seats.
Image via Sukhbir Cheema/Threads
Finding empty seats on the KTM Komuter is like winning the lottery. I thought it was my lucky day when I spotted several completely unoccupied seats.
As I rushed to plant my bum on one, I discovered to my horror that the inviting blue cushion seats were soaked through.
Image via Sukhbir Cheema/Threads
Annoyed, I looked around and noticed the floors were drenched, and some passengers were as well.
Turns out, there was an air-conditioning leak severe enough to soak an entire train coach.
Due to the crowded nature of the train, some passengers had resigned themselves to the damp conditions, including a few elderly women.
What started as small droplets of water turned into a light drizzle the moment the train gained speed
Image via Sukhbir Cheema/Threads
I turned to a fellow passenger seated near the wet seats. The poor guy's shirt was covered in splashes of water. He could only muster a meek, "Basah (wet)".
Another nudged his friend and quipped, "Ah, ko belum mandi lagi kan? Pi lah mandi! (Ah, you haven't had your shower? Now's your chance!)"
"Sabun siapa nak bagi? KTMB? (Would KTMB be supplying the soap too?)" his friend retorted.
Image via Sukhbir Cheema/Threads
Annoyed, I decided to record the moment when the train started drizzling indoors. You can watch the passengers' ordeal here:
As I got off the train, I immediately notified a KTMB staff member who seemed well aware of the issue. He nodded and said, "Basah kan? (It's wet, right?)".
The entire ordeal made me reflect on the state of public transport in our country.
Travelling from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur takes between an hour and a half to two hours. This doesn't include the wait time.
Image via New Straits Times
Each trip, I spend a whopping four hours commuting to and from work. That's not efficient at all.
Imagine if this travel time were shortened by more than 50%. Towns smaller than Seremban would experience significant economic growth as more people opt to settle down outside the Klang Valley, knowing they can commute to work in a short amount of time.
Hopefully, if we as Malaysians make our voices heard on important issues like this, we can drive positive change for everyone.
This story is a personal opinion of the writer and does not reflect the position of SAYS.
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