KTM: in serious need of improvement

KTM: keretapi tanah melayu berhad is the company responsible for the entire train stations and railways in Malaysia, ever since the early independence day. In fact, their monopoly could even begin since British colonisation, but let us detached it from that link of history as it would sure make them look even worst.
It seems that, KTM has not been learning much over the years of experience. It seriously shown by this unfunctional screen and the delay of train. Moreover as the the main central transit station, KL Sentral is seriously aint showing off much of its status especially the waiting area down-under. The place is not well-lighted, and the temperature is suffocatingly humid, which basically a total discomfort for us using their train services. Ain't they ever knew that public spaces is entitled to a certain criteria of lux-calculation to emphasize on functionality of the space. And being the service provider for so long, aren't they ever aware that comfortable temperature is a must for patrons of their service. How could they let such thing un-noticed?

Public Transport

It's been more than a decade since the last time I ride on a public transport, a train for instance which explain the sarcasm remark from my other half on weather I could still able to figure out how to ease myself using those facilities. Duhhh!! I am literate enough to read and perhaps I could still ask around if I couldn't fogure out things, but anyway, I make it through the day - smoothly. Managed to reach KL Convention Centre for the Archidex Exhibition in time and get back to the same station just before 6pm of the day so that I could get a ride home again with my other half (there'll be no particular public transport to my residential area other than a taxi and that would cost me a bomb at this very peak hour of the day!)

Anyway, the train ride was smooth and it was a new train altogether where the interior ambience has improve. The route-map is now equipped with indicator representing each station that we are stopping and it also differentiate in color which stations that we have already passed. The train is also in neat condition and surprisingly clean. I guess by not allowing people to eat in the train make a whole lot of difference. 

But getting down at KL Sentral to have a switch of train to enable me to get to KLCC is not as smooth as I anticipate. There seems to be not adequate signage to lead a newbie like me to specific platform, plus the station was so cramp with so many retail activities going on in the middle of the lobby. Personally, I think those existing retail outlet on the sidewalk are sufficient to serves the crowd, and by occupying the central lobby it simply reduce the fluid of movement for people on the rush to places/ train platforms.

Subang Jaya Station - KL bound

the new KTM Commuter train with new route indicator on top of the door

KL Sentral - Putra LRT route to KLCC

inside Putra LRT train

Test-run the rail: Part 2

Come to think of it, we never planned this 'test-run the rail' as part of the escapade for the whole family to venture in during weekends, but we did and I guess the ride of ETS would our Part 1 escapade?!  ;)

Anyway, we didn't have anything specific in mind of how to spend this weekend but we felt that we owe it to the children-too much time for work and less-time spend on them during weekdays. So, we decided to take them for a ride, of course our initial thought was 'the whole rail system' but unfortunately we managed to cover only one as the day's temperature was getting unbearable to jump from one rail to another ( the rail system in Kuala Lumpur was seriously not efficient giving the fact that it does not integrate closely to one another, for instance we have to walk more than 500meter under the sun to get from KL Sentral to KL Monorail and we are not talking about the heat of summer in Paris but this is Kuala Lumpur plus having to drag 5 year old child for that distance is not a good idea giving the fact that they will turn grumpy by the end of the hour!!)

So, from our breakfast spot in Kelana Jaya (it was brunch actually), we drive on to KLCC and we chose to park our car at an open car park next to Hotel Maya opposite BSN Bank and it cost us only RM3.50 per entry. Then, we walk our way to KLCC LRT Station, of course we chose to walk through inside KLCC rather than using the pedestrian path along Jalan Ampang.

We bought the ticket from the ticket machine and it was easy to use and it cost RM1.60 per journey from KLCC to KL Sentralflat rate for adult/children above 6. At first we did anticipate to ride on the KL Monorail but the walking distance to the station (which is way in Brickfields and not within the KL Sentral compound) has put us off. For a second we did thought of riding on the 'hop-in, hop-off' shuttle service but since it was already 3pm so spending RM19 per person for the trip was deem rather non-economical thing to do. Preferably it should be done early in the morning so we could enjoy the journey better and it would be value for money. So we decide to  head back to KLCC and spent the rest of the evening there..