PETALING JAYA, Sept 2 — Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) says  “naughty” children have been damaging KTM Komuter train windows.

“Youngsters pelting passing trains with stones from slingshots has resulted in broken window panels,” a KTMB spokesman said.

“The broken windows are a nightmare to deal with. It takes three days to replace one window. The windows are expensive and are imported from the manufacturer in China.”

The spokesman said the Class 92 trains plying between Batu Caves and Port Klang had been pelted with stones and other objects since the service began in March 2012.

She said nearly all trains plying the route had been damaged by vandals, several of whom had been arrested.

“The latest was on Aug 3 when security officers caught boys aged 11 and 12 throwing stones at a train near Kepong Sentral. The boys were handed over to the police,” she said.

“Vandalism is a serious offence and endangers those on board.”

KTMB has identified 11 hotspots over a 157.15km sketch along the Batu Caves-Port Klang and Rawang-Seremban lines.

The hotspots are Kampung  Raja Uda, Teluk Gadung, Klang, Bukit Badak, Padang Jawa, Petaling, Angkasapuri, Putra, Segambut, Kepong and Kepong Sentral.

She said KTMB auxiliary police patrolled the hotspots regularly.

“The ones throwing stones near the station are easier to catch. But it is impossible to monitor the entire length of the railway at all times,” she said.

“Besides windows, vandals pry off the handles on emergency doors and break the covers of fire extinguishers.

“Our company takes the issue seriously and replaces broken windows as soon as possible.”

The spokesman, however, declined to reveal how many trains had been damaged and how much it cost to replace the windows.

She said that besides patrols, KTMB organised safety awareness campaigns nationwide.

“We get schools, community centres and residents’ associations involved, especially those at the hotspots,” she said.

She also refuted claims that broken glass panels posed a safety hazard to commuters.

“The glass on the side windows is double-glazed tempered glass that meets the standards of the International Union of Railways,” she said.

Under Section 128 of the Land Public Transport Act, 2010, anyone who wilfully or negligently damages any railway property can be fined up to RM5,000 or jailed a maximum three years, or both.