Analysis of Fare Gate Failure Modes and Their Impact on Passenger Experience at Malaysia Rapid Transit (MRT) Stations

Abstract

Fare gate systems are critical components of the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) infrastructure in urban rail transit networks. Frequent failures of fare gate systems may disrupt passenger flow, reduce operational efficiency, and affect service quality, particularly during peak hours. This study investigates the failure trends of fare gate systems in the MRT Kajang Line using historical maintenance records collected from July 2024 to July 2025. A total of 140 failure incidents were analysed using Microsoft Excel through Pivot Table analysis, trend visualisation, and reliability assessment. In addition, a passenger survey involving 124 respondents was conducted to evaluate the operational impact of fare gate failures on commuter experience. The results indicate that the Barrier System was the most failure-prone subsystem, contributing 34.3% of all recorded failures, followed by the power-related failures (20.7%) and Gate CSM-EM subsystem (19.3%). MBC120 capacitor failures were identified as the dominant failure mechanism. Survey findings revealed that fare gate malfunctions significantly affected passenger punctuality and station congestion. This study highlights the importance of systematic failure trend analysis and provides practical recommendations for improving fare gate performance and service reliability in urban rail systems.