KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — Mention Kuala Lumpur to anyone and the first thing that comes to mind is the hustle and bustle of Malaysia’s capital city along with its hectic nightlife.

Many commute in and out daily while tourists and party people enjoy the city’s nightlife.

But at a certain stretch 16 feet below, lies a different story.

A group of 60 people — engineers, maintenance personnel and cleaners — are working against the clock, seven days a week to ensure a hassle-free Kuala Lumpur the following day.  

They are part of multi-model public transport operator Prasarana’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) team and take care of the 29 kilometre stretch of the rail from Lembah Subang to Gombak.

There are other teams within Prasarana who work while others sleep. 

They look at aspects of keeping public transport running smoothly for the public. 

This includes cleaning trains and stations and carrying out track maintenance. As for the buses, they are cleaned, and upgrading work and maintenance are also carried out.

With the team that Malay Mail followed one night, they need to be meticulous and efficient in their jobs as the LRT trains start operating at 6am and end at midnight.

This means workers have less than six hours to ensure a smooth commute for the 150,000 or so people who rely on the trains daily.

"It’s quite a challenge. The dust and poor ventilation. But it’s my job and I love it,” said 38-year-old maintenance analyst engineer Mohd Juakmal Mohd Noordin.

Juakmal has been with the company for five years. Most nights, he has enough time for a quick dinner with his family before setting off to Rapid Rail’s Subang Depot in Ara Damansara.

A maintenance carriage with the workers travels into the LRT’s underground tunnel that runs from the Masjid Jamek stop to the Gombak station.

A daily briefing at 11pm kicks off the squad’s daily routine.

Prasarana’s maintenance team checking the walls of the tunnel which runs from Masjid Jamek to Ampang Park. — Picture courtesy of Prasarana

An open air 40-minute train ride follows, until the line goes underground after the Pasar Seni station.

"Although it’s an odd-hour job, the good side of it is I get to spend some time with my family in the mornings,” he said.

"My role here is to inspect the track and report any faults to headquarters. Once we pass on the audit sheet, we decide on what’s best to work on in the short hours.”

During the briefing, a work schedule is planned and the team is then divided into five departments — track networks maintenance department, power, electronic, facilities maintenance and the quality control department.

The 4.36km tunnel — along section two of the line — is the toughest part to work on.

Section one is from Kelana Jaya-Pasar Seni, section two Pasar Seni-Gombak (underground) and section three runs from Kelana Jaya to Putra Heights (the newest line).

"We are a big team and most of us treat one another like family. We’ve only got each other’s company while the rest of the city sleeps,” said Juakmal.

Apart from cleaning tracks and tunnel walls, the rails, which power the trains, are grinded and replaced if needed.

Engineer Mohamad Shairazi Zubairi said it takes two to three hours to change a part of the linear induction motor rail — one that dictates the direction of the trains.

"One single part is about 24 metres, and we have to bring it in with another train and dispose of the unwanted part at the depot,” he said.

Shairazi usually "drives” the train.

He also assists the team to clean the 29km line.

"The cleaning process is essential as carbon constantly builds up when the two metals — from the trains and the rails — rub against each other,” said the 35-year-old.

"One of the reasons a bumpy ride occurs is when there is a lot of carbon build-up along the lines.”

He has been working in this department for about seven years.

"This experience is something different. Yes, I’m awake at night, but I enjoy my job tremendously,” he said.  

Railgrinding is a process that is done to stop deformation due to use and friction on railroad tracks by removing deformations and corrosion. — Picture by Azneal Ishak

The team relies on good communication and one of the two women on the team, engineer Suhaila Mohd Redzuan, who said it was awkward to fit in three years ago when she first joined them. 

"There were just men working in this field at that time. But I was up for the challenge as it was something different to me,” she said.

"We have doctors who take care of patients, pilot who flies planes and us — the team who ensures the hundreds of thousands of commuters get to point A and B safely. 

"People do not know, but it’s satisfying to know that there are no issues with the trains the following day.”

Their tasks must come to an end at about 4am and the crew have to ensure nothing is left along the tracks before Prasarana starts setting off its trains to the rails at about 5.30am.

They return to the depot in Ara Damansara and enjoy a short get-together, usually exchanging ideas on work-related matters. 

If things go according to plan, they clock off work at about 6am.