KL Monorail’s new four-car train with better safety features and disabled persons (OKU) friendly will start operations in August.

Executive vice-president of the Rolling Stock Department, Prasarana Integrated Management & Engineering Services Sdn Bhd, Muhammad Isom Azis, said initially, only two sets of train would be used to replace two carriages that were over 10 years old.

“Our target is to utilise all the 12 trains at the latest by the third quarter of next year. It depends on the tests that we are conducting,” he said during a media tour of the new monorail depot in Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur today.

The new two sets of trains in the depot were undergoing dynamic tests to check  the efficiency of the braking system and the doors, among others.

They were conducted daily from 12.30am to 4.30am.

Muhammad Isom said KL Monorail would also stop services on Saturday and Sunday to make way for testing of the signalling system of the new trains.

“For the benefit of disabled users, we have improved the stations by providing a chair lift and work is in final stage,” he added.

Each four-car train can accommodate 430 passengers at any one time and provides space for a special wheelchair equipped with safety belts, closed circuit television (CCTV) systems and smoke detectors.

- Bernama