Rail Service Reliability Hits New Highs in 2025 with Prasarana

Prasarana Malaysia Berhad has announced a remarkable enhancement in the reliability of its rail services for 2025, achieving over a 50% decrease in disruptions across its networks compared to the previous year. The state-run transport operator documented only 31 service interruptions, a sharp decline from 71 in 2024.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke cited this achievement as a testament to Prasarana's renewed dedication to enhancing public transportation, especially following 2024's criticisms regarding frequent setbacks that had undermined public trust in rail services throughout the Klang Valley.

During the annual performance briefing at Prasarana, Loke remarked on the significant improvements since his reappointment as transport minister. He attributed the success to Prasarana staff's relentless efforts over the past three years, which have yielded clear, positive results after overcoming persistent technical hurdles.

A standout improvement is the new performance metric called Mean Kilometres Before Failure (MKBF), assessing the distance trains can cover before facing mechanical or technical problems. In 2024, the average breakdown occurred every 70,000 kilometres, which dramatically improved to every 790,000 kilometres in 2025.

In addition to reliability gains, public transport usage has progressed steadily. Ridership on Prasarana-operated services increased by 11% year-on-year, reaching 1.31 million passengers and approaching pre-Covid-19 levels. The annual performance briefing was a reform initiative introduced by Loke to enhance transparency in the public transport sector.

Looking to the future, Prasarana is focused on completing the delayed third LRT line serving Shah Alam. Loke acknowledged public frustrations but emphasized that safety is paramount. He stated that unresolved technical challenges with contractors need addressing before the project can advance to the crucial free-fail run (FFR) phase.

A meeting is anticipated next week to outline the next steps and establish a timeline for the FFR. Until then, no official inauguration date will be announced.

In the meantime, existing rail services are poised for substantial upgrades. The Kelana Jaya LRT line will see significant enhancements throughout the year, buoyed by a RM1 billion budget allocation for 2026 to replace 26 train units. Currently, this line caters to approximately 250,000 daily passengers.

In 2025, the Kajang MRT line became RapidRail’s most utilized service, averaging 270,000 passengers daily, highlighting the increasing reliance on urban rail transport.