On The Train. Mar 17, 2005

(Knowledge Acquisition and Capturing: Learning from Experience)

I was beginning to think that I do not have anything to write anymore when an idea strucked me. Let’s talk about the train stations that I pass everyday going to work. One major law of Knowledge Management is you only know what you know when you need to know. As an example while writing about this I realized I knew a lot more about train stations that I thought I knew. Points flow out like a stream flowing from a waterfall and connect with one another.

My routes everyday would start at Bangi station, follow by UKM, Kajang, Serdang, Bandar Tasek Selatan, Salak Selatan, Seputeh, Mid Valley, KL Sentral, KL and Bank Negara respectively. Obviously the reverse when I am going home

Bangi

Just like Kajang when the developments are in full swing in Bandar Baru Bangi a lot of doomsday sayers were pilling the nails on Bangi’s coffin. Just like Kajang when we first moved there a lot of people were saying to me that Kajang would be a ghost town in no time. How wrong that was and it is the same case with Bangi. Instead of going into a slow death it erupted with vengeance with two major townships of its own – Bandar Bukit Mahkota and Bandar Seri Putra. The train station from lazy looking with next to nothing also burst with commuters. Since the first time I took the train it is now one busy station. So much so it commercially viable for ‘teksi sapu’ operators. The station itself is an old station as we know that I like very much. It has been refurbished improving the look and feel. Still, KTMB could do a little bit more. Sadly the toilets are hopeless. It used to have a fish pond that I like but an idiot, sadly, mistakenly poisoned the fish by washing their hands in the pond. I got friendly with the staff there and from my conversations with them I could understand the scope of their mentality. The thing is the KTMB top brass should spend more time on the ground visiting these stations.

UKM

Used to be my station before I moved to Bandar Seri Putra. Due to its location, rightly so, it is a student’s station. Even so there are many commuters like me boarding from there. It is also one of the many purposely built stations for the Komuter service. We normally reached that station at 7.15 am every morning. Quite a number of commuters boarded in from there.

Kajang

This is an established station where even the intercity trains make a stop. This station was also rebuilt about 200 meters from the old Kajang station. Kajang station is serving one of the biggest number of commuters along the route. The location of the station, I believe, is not that strategic for those living on the other side of the Kajang as they have to brave the nasty Kajang’s traffic congestion to get to the station. However, it is very strategic for school children living along the route before Kajang like my son as his school is just about 400 meters away across the road. In fact there are actually four schools along the road from the station. Yes, you guess right now that every morning my son takes the same train as me going to school. School children could be a bit too noisy and mischievous on the train. Once we get to Kajang silence suddenly confront us.

Serdang

This is the second largest commuter station in terms of ridership along my route. Almost all of them were to stand all the way to KL Sentral. Only pregnant ladies (pregnant men are ignored), senior citizens and blinds would get seats. But then again maybe not. Everyone seating could be snoring…LOL. This station is notorious for flash flood. More than once last year I was stranded due to the flooding. Once during pausa month all of us muslims ‘berbuka puasa’ telan air hujan.:)))))) at Salak Selatan station.

Bandar Tasik Selatan

The crowd is as big as at Serdang simply because it is an ‘exchange’ station for STAR and KLIA Express lines. Commuters could change here to either take the STAR LRT to the heart of KL or Seri Petaling the other way. Or KLIA Express to the airport or KL Sentral. I do not think that my fellow commuters would take the KLIA Express to KL Sentral as it would be too costly. But you never know. Nevertheless, this is where you begin to get amore chic looking commuters. Obviously again due to the location that has people coming from the area as well as from the other two service lines.

Salak Selatan

There aren’t that many people using this station. One primary reason is that it is not strategically located and secondly the STAR LRT is offering a better location for the commuters. This station is more effectively used now for emergency passing and waiting for the trains in case of emergency like during a flood at Serdang.

Seputeh

It is the same with this station only used to be slightly better compared to Salak Selatan until Mid Valley station was built. The majority of the commuters using this station before were commuters meant for the Mid Valley.

Mid Valley

Of course this station should have been built even earlier. KTMB should have known better. Both ways are popular as it is the easiest way to go to Mid Valley Mall. I could see this station growing once more office spaces are available around the area. Most of the commuters to and from here are teenagers. Now you can see even more outrageous fashion on the train.

KL Sentral

I don’t have to say much about KL Sentral. It is a commuter’s hub. In the morning the train would be practically emptied here. Here as well when ‘sleepers’ automatically open their eyes. They have been programmed that way after commuting for a number of years.

Kuala Lumpur

It was the main station before KL Sentral and almost everyone knows that. Now it just serves commuters going to Daya Bumi and the vicinity. This old main station is practically a museum piece now.

Bank Negara

The train is really empty now. Bank Negara station is a hub as well. A hub for office workers along Jalan Raja Laut. Of course this where and few of my colleagues get down going to work. Everyday the walk up to my office is refreshing. The gardener would say his salam to me and office mates arriving in a car will acknowledge me with the minimal use of the horn. I would be in the office at 7.49am and immediately start of my morning ‘chores.’