Passenger Rail Service Comfortability in Kuala Lumpur Urban Transit System
Rail transit transportation system is among the public transportation network in 
Kuala Lumpur City. Some important elements in establishing this system are ticket price, 
operation cost, maintenance implications, service quality and passenger’s comfortability. The 
level of passenger’s comfortability in the coach is important to be considered by the relevant 
authorities and system operators in order to provide comfort and safety to passengers. The 
objective this research is to study some parameters that impact the comfortability of passengers 
and to obtain feedbacks from passengers for different rail transit system. Site observations were 
conducted to obtain data such as noise, vibration, speed and coach layouts which will be 
verified by using the passenger feedback outcomes. The research will be focused in and around 
the Kuala Lumpur City for the duration of 10 months. Four rail transit systems were being 
considered, i.e. Train Type A (LRA), Train Type B (LRB), Train Type C (MRL) and Train 
Type D (CTR). Data parameters obtained from field observations were conducted in the rail 
coaches during actual operation using apparatus among others the sound level meter (SLM), 
vibration analyzer (VA) and the global positioning system (GPS). Questionnaires were 
prepared as passenger feedback instrument, focusing on the level of comfortability in rail 
coaches. The outcomes of these analyses showed that CTR was the best and most comfortable 
coach, followed by LRA, LRB and MRL. Using the passenger feedbacks (MBP) it was also 
found that the ranking values for the railway transit system using Rail Coach Comfortability 
(RCC) is RCC (MBP) were the same as the outcomes using the RCC (parameters). In 
conclusion, it was found that this research has successfully determined the level of 
comfortability as determined in its aim and objectives. From this research, it is hoped that the 
relevant authorities will continue to find ways to enhance the comfortability and safety of its 
train coaches especially its passengers and the community at large.
Review on Selection and Suitability of Rail Transit Station Design Pertaining to Public Safety
Railway has emerged as a fast, convenient, safe, clean, and low-cost alternative to air and road transportation. Many countries have invested in rail transportation. In America, Europe and Asia, large investments are planned for rail transportation. This is because congestion problems can be reduced with the introduction of rail transportation. Rail transportation involves several components which are important to ensure the smooth and safe delivery of services such as locomotives, rail stations and railway tracks. Rail transit stations are places where trains stop to pick-up and drop-off passengers. Stations are vital for many to enable them to engage in work and social commitments. This paper focuses only on the rail transit station as it is one of the important components in rail transportation. It is also considered as a key public meeting place and space for interactions in a community. The role of rail transit station and the requirements of a good rail transit station are also described in this paper. Steps in selecting the location of rail transit station include the function and facilities in rail transit station are discussed with reference to best practices and handbooks. Selection of the appropriate rail transit station locations may help users indirectly. In addition, this paper will also elucidate on the design considerations for an efficient and effective rail transit station. Design selections for the rail transit station must be balanced between aesthetic value and functional efficiency. The right design selection may help conserve energy, assure and facilitate consumers even thought a rail transit station plays a smaller role in attracting consumers compared to a shopping complex or a residential building. This will contribute towards better and greener building for a green transportation facility. Thus, with this paper it is expected to assist the relevant authority to identify important elements in the selection and determination of suitable rail transit station design for the future. It is also important to ensure the design is appropriate from the selection and suitability perspective as design and operation will assist to facilitate the success of the national rail network and encourage the public to use rail transit system. A conducive and neatly design railway station will not only add to the passenger experience but also, as a supporting facility to the economic, social and environmental benefits of the rail industry.
Simulation and control of hybrid renewable energy system connected to the grid
This paper presents a control and simulation of hybrid renewable energy system connected to the grid. The studied system includes a photovoltaic panel, synchronous permanent magnet generator based wind turbine, and a battery for storage energy. The PV array and wind systems are connected to the common DC bus by a boost converter. The battery is connected by a bi-directional DC/DC converter, and then integrated into the AC utility grid via a common DC/AC inverter. In order to extract the maximum energy, a simulation study has been carried out according to the meteorological conditions (wind speed and variable solar irradiance) while maintaining power quality at a satisfactory level. In order to capture the maximum power, a MPPT algorithm is applied for both wind turbine and photovoltaic panel. The modeling and simulation of the whole system has been performed under Matlab/Simulink environment. The obtained results show that the current and the voltage of grid side are sinusoidal and alternative forms, and the power injected to the grid is around the power produced by the hybrid system.