Rail transport in Malaysia
Encyclopedia
Rail transport in Malaysia comprises heavy rail (including high-speed rail
), light rail transit
(LRT), monorail
and a funicular
railway line. Heavy rail is mostly used for intercity passenger and freight transport as well as some urban public transport
, while LRTs are used for urban public transport
and some special use such as transporting passengers between airport buildings. There is one high-speed railway line with two high-speed train services linking Kuala Lumpur with the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
. The sole monorail
line in the country is also used for public transport in Kuala Lumpur
while the only funicular
railway line is in Penang
.
The railway network covers most states in Peninsular Malaysia
. In East Malaysia, only the state of Sabah
has railways. Singapore
, although not part of Malaysia, is served by the Malaysian railway network. The network is also connected to the Thai railway
network in the north.
consists of two main lines: The West Coast Line between Singapore
and Padang Besar, Perlis
, on the Malaysian-Thai border, and the East Coast Line between Gemas in Negeri Sembilan
and Tumpat in Kelantan
. There are also several branch lines - between Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang, Batu Junction and Batu Caves, Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth, Tapah Road and Teluk Intan, Kempas and Tanjung Pelepas, Kempas and Pasir Gudang, and between Pasir Mas and Rantau Panjang. The entire 1,699 km network uses meter gauge
tracks.
The network is linked with the Thai railway
network at Padang Besar and Rantau Panjang.
A total of 332 km of the network is double track
and electrified. They include portions of the West Coast Line between Seremban
and Ipoh
and the entire Kuala Lumpur-Port Klang branch line as well as the stretch between Kuala Lumpur and Sentul branch line. The double-track and electrified portions between Kuala Kubu Bharu
and Seremban
and the Port Klang to Kuala Lumpur branch lines are used as the commuter train services.
Double tracking and electrification of the stretch of the Batu Caves branch line between Sentul and Batu Caves are in progress. When completed, it will add 7.5 km of double track and electrified sections to the network and expected to be completed in 2009. Double tracking of the West Coast line between Ipoh
and Padang Besar has started in January 2008 and expected to be completed in 2012/2013 and will add a further 329 km of double track to the network.
Malaysia's national petroleum company Petronas
owns a railway line which links its oil refinery complex and the nearby town of Kerteh
, Terengganu, with the petrochemical complex in Gebeng, Kuantan and Kuantan Port near Kuantan
, Pahang. The line is mainly used to transport petroleum products, but has recently been opened up for general freight transport, with operation being conducted by KTM. There have been proposals to extend the line to connect with the KTM line at Mentakab, and even suggestions to go as far as Kuala Terengganu
and Tumpat
.
and Tenom
in the interior of Sabah
state. The line is the only railway on the island of Borneo
. Besides normal passenger trains operated by the Sabah State Railway
Department, the tracks are also used to for the North Borneo Railway tourist train. The line has been suffering from lack of maintenance for many years and in 2006, the Malaysian Government funded rehabilitation works for the line. A pipe dream is to have a railway line from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching through Brunei though the cost of this would mean seeking funding from Brunei.
line is the 57 km (35 mi) standard gauge
line between Kuala Lumpur
and Kuala Lumpur International Airport
. Depending on whose definition is used, this line may not be defined as high-speed because the maximum speed used is 160 km/h (99 mph). The line was constructed by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd, which also operates the two train services which use the line, namely the KLIA Ekspres
and KLIA Transit
. Ideas have been mooted to extend this line as far south as Johor Bahru
and as far north as Padang Besar, Perlis
using a genuine high-speed / bullet train
travelling at 300 km/h (186 mph). However, this proposed line hasn't yet even begun construction.
to ferry passengers from the Main Terminal Building and the satellite building.
The two lines in Kuala Lumpur are the Kelana Jaya Line
and the Ampang Line
. The Kelana Jaya Line is a driver-less automatic system and is 29 km (18 mi) long, running between the northeastern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya
to the west of Kuala Lumpur. It is mostly elevated except for a 4 km (2.5 mi) stretch where it goes underground and there is a short at-grade stretch. The Kelana Jaya Line was completely operational from June 1999. The older Ampang Line
is 27 km (17 mi) and consists of two lines, running between the suburb of Sentul in the north of Kuala Lumpur, and Ampang
in the east, as well as Sri Petaling
in the south. Trains branch off to either Ampang or Sri Petaling at Chan Sow Lin station about midway of both lines. The system is mostly at-grade outside the city, and elevated with it runs through the city. Unlike the trains on the Kelana Jaya Line, those on the Ampang Line have drivers. The line was completely opened on 1998.
The light rail system at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, called the "Aerotrain", is a simple people-mover shuttle system running along two 1286 m (4,219 ft) guiderails between the Main Terminal Building and Satellite Building. The two ends of the guiderails are elevated while the middle portion goes under the main airport taxiway. Each rail has a three-car automatic driver-less train.
There is proposal to construct light rail transit system in Kulim
by 2020. However, this proposed line hasn't yet even begun construction until today.
. It is 8.6 km (5.3 mi) long, running from Titiwangsa in the north of central Kuala Lumpur, to KL Sentral just to the south of the city center. It has 11 stations. The line consists of two parallel rails for most of the way except at the end stations where switches merge the two rails into a single rail before entering the station. The entire network is elevated. The system uses two-car trains which were manufactured in Malaysia. It is operated by KL Monorail Sdn Bhd.
There are proposals to construct monorails in Penang
, Johor Bahru
and Malacca
but opposition has been vociferously expressed by Penang and Malacca residents concerned about the system being out of place in the historic downtown areas. Melaka has since focused on the less intrusive Aerorail. The federal administrative centre of Putrajaya
was also supposed to have a monorail network and the main station and several metres of track have been built. However, the project has been postponed because of costs and the Malaysian government felt that it was not a priority project for the time being even though good public transportation would attract many Malaysians to re-locate to this new underpopulated city.
Melaka is currently constructing a 1.8 km (1.1 mi) Aerorail line for urban mass-transit. For more information see Malacca Monorail
The monorail has been hit by a number of setbacks, including the suspension of the service following a British couple, Anne and James Croft, having to be rescued by firefighters after the monorail stopped unexpectedly between stations. This has been exacerbated by the imported Chinese trains not having any manuals available in either Bahasa Malaysia or English. Following this incident a number of safety upgrades have been suggested including the purchase of cherry pickers in case of any further stoppages .
in Penang
is the only funicular
railway system in Malaysia. Although overwhelmingly used to ferry tourists up Penang Hill, the train is also used by residents living in the hill. The line is made up of two separate sections, with the total length at 1.2 km (0.745647283979768 mi). Both sections are single lines with passing loop
s at midway. The tracks are metre gauge
and have an incline of over 50%. It is the only funicular railway in East Asia other than the Peak Tram
in Hong Kong
. There have been ideas mooted to build more funiculars on other major hills in Malaysia as part of improving infrastructure to boost tourism, but there are profitability concerns and worries that this might damage the environment even though new roads are the worst culprits.
.
Berhad (KTMB), a corporation owned by the Malaysian government. It operates KTM Intercity
passenger trains on both main lines and the Bukit Mertajam-Butterworth branch. The other branch lines are either used for freight or not used at all, with the exception of the Kuala Lumpur-Port Klang and Batu Junction-Sentul stretch of the Batu Caves branch lines which are used for its commuter train service, KTM Komuter
. The commuter service also uses the double-track and electrified portions of the West Coast Line between Rawang and Seremban. KTMB is also the main operator of freight trains in Malaysia.
Besides its own network, KTMB also operates trains on the Kerteh-Kuantan railway under contract with Petronas, the owner of the line.
Department is the only state department in Malaysia to operate a railway service. It operates passenger and freight services along the 134 km railway line between Tanjung Aru and Tenom in the state.
The private company was set up to develop and operate the high-speed railway between Kuala Lumpur's KL Sentral station and Kuala Lumpur International Airport
. It operates two services along the 57 km standard gauge
line, the non-stop KLIA Ekspres
and the commuter-like KLIA Transit
. Trains on the two services can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h and are the fastest in Malaysia. Besides trains, the company also provides check-in facilities at its Kuala Lumpur City Airport Terminal at KL Sentral. Except for check-in baggage of passengers, Express Rail Link does not handle any cargo.
and other parts of the country as and when the need arises. It is fully owned by the Finance Ministry Incorporated. The company currently operates the two LRT lines in Kuala Lumpur, namely the Ampang Line
and the Kelana Jaya Line
. Besides the LRT, RapidKL also operates some 70% of bus services in Kuala Lumpur.
system and is the operator of the system under a concession from the government. In May 2007, the company was put under receivership for failing to repay money borrowed for its construction.
, the heart of the tin-rich Larut Valley in Perak
state. The second line was opened a year later to link Kuala Lumpur
, again the center of tin-mining activities in the Klang Valley, and Klang
and subsequently to Port Swettenham (Port Klang
today).
and Ipoh
. KTMB has introduced a rapid intercity service between KL Sentral and Ipoh, running 16 services a day initially and ultimately 32 services a day. This project, which has been beset by problems and delays, is completed by end of 2007 and it cut down the journey time of KL-Ipoh to 2.5 hours. This project also enable KTMB to extend its KTM Komuter
service to Tanjung Malim
. The cost of the project originally was RM4.6 billion. The project started in 2000 but has been beset by numerous problems and as of June 2007, it is expected to be completed by the end of 2007 and operations are expected to start in 2008. On 14 January 2008, the transport minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, confirmed that the rail lines are currently being used since January 2008, although train service between Kuala Lumpur
and Ipoh
is unelectrified.
For more details, see Keretapi Tanah Melayu page.
and Malaysian Mining Corporation Berhad will be handling the Northern section while Indian Railway Construction Company (Ircon) has been awarded the Seremban-Gemas portion of the Southern section. Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said work on the Northern section will begin by the end of 2007 and is expected to be completed in five years.
For more details, see Keretapi Tanah Melayu page.
. Sentul is currently the terminus for KTM Komuter
's Sentul-Port Klang Line and the extension will enable the commuter train service to be extended to Batu Caves. Site possession was given to contractor YTL Corporation Berhad on November 17, 2006. The project is expected to be completed in 30 months' time in May 2009.
from Kelana Jaya to USJ and the Ampang Line
from Sri Petaling to Puchong and USJ. The plan also will see a new light rail transit line being constructed between Kota Damansara to the northwest of Kuala Lumpur and Cheras which lies to the southeast of Kuala Lumpur. No details of the alignment of the extensions nor the locations of new stations were revealed.
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad
, the owner of most public transport assets in Kuala Lumpur, signed an agreement on 13 October 2006 with Bombardier and a Malaysian company joint venture for the purchase of 22 light rail vehicle sets with an option for another 13 for RM1.2 billion. The 22 vehicles will have four cars each and will boost the carrying capacity of the fleet by 1,500 people. The 22 sets will be delivered from August 2008. The system currently operates 35 two-cars train set. On 27 July 2009, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced that the 35 new four-car trains will be operational by end-2012.
, the project proponent YTL Corporation Berhad proposed a high-speed rail
link between Kuala Lumpur
and Singapore
. At that time, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia could not afford such an expensive project. YTL again proposed the project in 2006 and as of June 2007, the Malaysian Government said the feasibility of the proposal was still being studied. The RM8 billion project would slash rail travel time from more than 6 hours to about 90 minutes. The main stumbling blocks, apart from costs, appears to be the JB-Woodlands Causeway which Mahathir had once hoped to replace with a 'scenic bridge'. There were doubts about the capacity of such a curved bridge to carry a rail line and YTL having to use KTM land which runs from Woodlands to Keppel. Redevelopment of this land in Singapore could probably help fund the proposed railway if the various parties involved each had a stake in each other. If the Causeway remains or a straight bridge is one day built to replace it, there should be no difficulty to have a high speed line on either. The high speed line proposal, like the bridge proposal, appears to have reached a stumbling block which only can be overcome at the highest political levels where other bilateral issues have to first be resolved or dealt with at the same time.
As of December 2007, YTL Corporation Group Managing Director, Tan Sri Francis Yeoh Sock Ping, express great confidence that the project will be approved by both governments. JPMorgan added that almost all regulatory road blocks in building the railway is resolved. The key consideration in the project approval rests in the role of developing the Iskandar Development Region. On January 2008, the transport minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said that the government is still looking in the proposal and had yet to make a final decision. He added that the train would be Broad gauge
and will run at 350 km/h. If this is the case, new lines need to be laid down as the currently ERL tracks are only Standard gauge
. In March 2008, the government is still studying the social impact of the project through the Economic Planning Unit. The Deputy Prime Minister stress out that the risk and funding of the project will squarely rest on the private sector.
Siemens
, a major railroad partner in Malaysia has express interest in giving out solutions to the project. They have proposed Velaro trains which has a top speed of 350 km/h as a solution for the project.
On April 22, 2008, the government announce that the project was put on hold indefinitely due to high cost. The government said that the model that YTL corp. was proposing requires the government to borne a significant amount of financing. According to news reports, the decision came at the time of political upheaval due to the recent general election
, supported by voices like Keretapi Tanah Melayu
who opposes such projects and consideration to protect Kuala Lumpur International Airport
.
On March 2009, it was reported the YTL was considering to revive the project again. It will seek to build the rail line on the coastline of Peninsular Malaysia
rather than an earlier proposal of building on the existing track.
project, the government is planning a 320 km railway track between Similajau in Bintulu
Division and Tanjung Manis in Mukah
Division. The cost nor the project time line is yet to be revealed.
-MMC Corporation Berhad
proposed 3-line 150 km Mass Rapid Transit system for the Klang Valley which envisages a “Wheel and Spoke” concept comprising two northeast-southwest radial lines and one circle line looping around Kuala Lumpur city. The proposal was announced in early-June 2010 and construction works targeted to commence in early-2011, leading to project completion in 2016.
The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system will be the backbone of a new transport system in Klang Valley, which will be home to an estimated 10 million people by 2020. The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system will have several lines integrated with the light rail transit (LRT), Monorail, KTMB Komuter and intra- and inter-city bus services to form an effective public transportation system.
In December 2010, the Government announced that the Sungai Buloh – Kajang Line will be the first to take off.
The Sungai Buloh – Kajang Line will run from Sungai Buloh to Kajang through Kuala Lumpur city centre. This route which runs from north-west to south-east of Kuala Lumpur is densely populated and is currently inadequately served by rail-based public transport.
Upon expected completion by 2016, the Sungai Buloh – Kajang line will provide train service to 1.2 million people with an estimated daily ridership of 442,000.
Apart from the Sungai Buloh - Kajang Line, other lines will be built based on the Land Public Transport Masterplan and Urban Rail Development Plan being drawn by the Land Public Transport Commission.
The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system including all the stations will be owned by the Government of Malaysia through Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad.
Prasarana, which is 100% owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, is currently the owner of the Klang Valley’s light rail transit and monorail networks. RapidKL, which is the current operator of the Klang Valley’s light rail transit, monorail and a majority of its bus routes, will also be operating the future mass rapid transit system.
The newly established Land Public Transport Commission or Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) will be the supervising agency of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Project.
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
), light rail transit
Light Rail Transit
The name Light Rail Transit is used to refer to several light rail systems, as an official name or otherwise:* Please see List of tram and light-rail transit systems.-See also:* Light Rapid Transit * Light railway* Light rail...
(LRT), monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
and a funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
railway line. Heavy rail is mostly used for intercity passenger and freight transport as well as some urban public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, while LRTs are used for urban public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
and some special use such as transporting passengers between airport buildings. There is one high-speed railway line with two high-speed train services linking Kuala Lumpur with the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
. The sole monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
line in the country is also used for public transport in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
while the only funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
railway line is in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
.
The railway network covers most states in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
. In East Malaysia, only the state of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
has railways. Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, although not part of Malaysia, is served by the Malaysian railway network. The network is also connected to the Thai railway
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
network in the north.
Peninsular Malaysia
The intercity railway network in Peninsular MalaysiaPeninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
consists of two main lines: The West Coast Line between Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Padang Besar, Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
, on the Malaysian-Thai border, and the East Coast Line between Gemas in Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
and Tumpat in Kelantan
Kelantan
Kelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
. There are also several branch lines - between Kuala Lumpur and Port Klang, Batu Junction and Batu Caves, Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth, Tapah Road and Teluk Intan, Kempas and Tanjung Pelepas, Kempas and Pasir Gudang, and between Pasir Mas and Rantau Panjang. The entire 1,699 km network uses meter gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
tracks.
The network is linked with the Thai railway
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
network at Padang Besar and Rantau Panjang.
A total of 332 km of the network is double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
and electrified. They include portions of the West Coast Line between Seremban
Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
and Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
and the entire Kuala Lumpur-Port Klang branch line as well as the stretch between Kuala Lumpur and Sentul branch line. The double-track and electrified portions between Kuala Kubu Bharu
Kuala Kubu Bharu
Kuala Kubu Bharu , is a town in Hulu Selangor district, Selangor, Malaysia. It was built after the town of Kuala Kubu was destroyed in a flood in 1883. Kuala Kubu Bharu is located on top of a hill...
and Seremban
Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
and the Port Klang to Kuala Lumpur branch lines are used as the commuter train services.
Double tracking and electrification of the stretch of the Batu Caves branch line between Sentul and Batu Caves are in progress. When completed, it will add 7.5 km of double track and electrified sections to the network and expected to be completed in 2009. Double tracking of the West Coast line between Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
and Padang Besar has started in January 2008 and expected to be completed in 2012/2013 and will add a further 329 km of double track to the network.
Malaysia's national petroleum company Petronas
Petronas
PETRONAS, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is a Malaysian oil and gas company that was founded on August 17, 1974. Wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with the entire oil and gas resources in Malaysia and is entrusted with the responsibility of developing and...
owns a railway line which links its oil refinery complex and the nearby town of Kerteh
Kerteh
Kerteh is a town in the district of Kemaman in southern Terengganu, Malaysia, about 30 km or 20 minutes' drive north of Chukai. Kerteh is the base of operations for Petronas in Terengganu, overseeing the oil platform operations off the state's coast as well as petrochemicals production and...
, Terengganu, with the petrochemical complex in Gebeng, Kuantan and Kuantan Port near Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...
, Pahang. The line is mainly used to transport petroleum products, but has recently been opened up for general freight transport, with operation being conducted by KTM. There have been proposals to extend the line to connect with the KTM line at Mentakab, and even suggestions to go as far as Kuala Terengganu
Kuala Terengganu
-Transport:The city is connected to other towns via a good network of roads and also some ferries that ply the Terengganu River. The Sultan Mahmud Bridge, a bridge over the Terengganu River, provides a road link to both banks of the river...
and Tumpat
Tumpat
Tumpat is a town and a district in Kelantan, Malaysia. Tumpat is situated at the end of the East Coast Line train line operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu which links Kelantan to the western part of Peninsular Malaysia. This strategic location makes it the transportation hub of Kelantan...
.
Sabah
There is a 134 km (83 mi) railway line linking Tanjung Aru near Kota KinabaluKota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
and Tenom
Tenom
Tenom is a town located in Interior Division of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The town was called Fort Birch in the early colonial period. Its population was estimated to be around 46,200 in the year 2000....
in the interior of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
state. The line is the only railway on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. Besides normal passenger trains operated by the Sabah State Railway
Sabah State Railway
Sabah State Railway is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the currently the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134 km line from Tanjung Aru, near Kota Kinabalu, to the town of Tenom, in the...
Department, the tracks are also used to for the North Borneo Railway tourist train. The line has been suffering from lack of maintenance for many years and in 2006, the Malaysian Government funded rehabilitation works for the line. A pipe dream is to have a railway line from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching through Brunei though the cost of this would mean seeking funding from Brunei.
'High-speed' rail
Malaysia's only high-speed railHigh-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
line is the 57 km (35 mi) standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line between Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
. Depending on whose definition is used, this line may not be defined as high-speed because the maximum speed used is 160 km/h (99 mph). The line was constructed by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd, which also operates the two train services which use the line, namely the KLIA Ekspres
KLIA Ekspres
KLIA Ekspres is a non-stop, airport rail link service between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ERL station in Malaysia. The service is run by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. which began its operations on 14 April 2002...
and KLIA Transit
KLIA Transit
KLIA Transit is a rail service linking Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and KL International Airport as well as three other stops in between...
. Ideas have been mooted to extend this line as far south as Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
and as far north as Padang Besar, Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
using a genuine high-speed / bullet train
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
travelling at 300 km/h (186 mph). However, this proposed line hasn't yet even begun construction.
Light rail
There are three systems which are called light rail transits in Malaysia. Two are used in Kuala Lumpur to ferry paying passengers while the third is used at Kuala Lumpur International AirportKuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
to ferry passengers from the Main Terminal Building and the satellite building.
The two lines in Kuala Lumpur are the Kelana Jaya Line
Kelana Jaya Line
The Kelana Jaya Line is a medium-capacity rail transport system and one of the three rail transit lines in the Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System operated by RapidKL Rail network...
and the Ampang Line
Ampang Line
The Ampang Line is one of the two lines in Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System network operated by RapidKL Rail network. The other rail network is the Kelana Jaya Line....
. The Kelana Jaya Line is a driver-less automatic system and is 29 km (18 mi) long, running between the northeastern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya is a Malaysian city originally developed as a satellite township for Kuala Lumpur comprising mostly residential and some industrial areas. It is located in the Petaling district of Selangor with an area of approximately 97.2 km². On 20 June 2006, Petaling Jaya was granted a...
to the west of Kuala Lumpur. It is mostly elevated except for a 4 km (2.5 mi) stretch where it goes underground and there is a short at-grade stretch. The Kelana Jaya Line was completely operational from June 1999. The older Ampang Line
Ampang Line
The Ampang Line is one of the two lines in Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System network operated by RapidKL Rail network. The other rail network is the Kelana Jaya Line....
is 27 km (17 mi) and consists of two lines, running between the suburb of Sentul in the north of Kuala Lumpur, and Ampang
Ampang
Ampang is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur in the Titiwangsa constituency, partly located in the state of Selangor, Malaysia and was historically a tin mining town. Its area in Kuala Lumpur is identified as being along the Ampang Road and Ampang Hilir.-History:...
in the east, as well as Sri Petaling
Sri Petaling
Sri Petaling is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. It is located to the south of the city, near Happy Garden, and was formerly known as Bandar Baru Seri Petaling, Kuchai Lama and Bukit Jalil. This suburb was first developed in 1981; before this, there was a rubber plantation there...
in the south. Trains branch off to either Ampang or Sri Petaling at Chan Sow Lin station about midway of both lines. The system is mostly at-grade outside the city, and elevated with it runs through the city. Unlike the trains on the Kelana Jaya Line, those on the Ampang Line have drivers. The line was completely opened on 1998.
The light rail system at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, called the "Aerotrain", is a simple people-mover shuttle system running along two 1286 m (4,219 ft) guiderails between the Main Terminal Building and Satellite Building. The two ends of the guiderails are elevated while the middle portion goes under the main airport taxiway. Each rail has a three-car automatic driver-less train.
There is proposal to construct light rail transit system in Kulim
Kulim
Kulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...
by 2020. However, this proposed line hasn't yet even begun construction until today.
Monorail
Malaysia's only monorail system is used for public transport in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. It is 8.6 km (5.3 mi) long, running from Titiwangsa in the north of central Kuala Lumpur, to KL Sentral just to the south of the city center. It has 11 stations. The line consists of two parallel rails for most of the way except at the end stations where switches merge the two rails into a single rail before entering the station. The entire network is elevated. The system uses two-car trains which were manufactured in Malaysia. It is operated by KL Monorail Sdn Bhd.
There are proposals to construct monorails in Penang
Penang Monorail
The Penang Monorail is a proposed monorail line to be constructed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and Northern Corridor Economic Region . It will be located on Penang Island. Two lines will be built, with possible extensions to Seberang Perai in the future. The 37km system is expected to cost RM 1.6...
, Johor Bahru
JB Monorail
The JB Monorail is a proposed maglev monorail to be built in Johor Bahru. If built, the monorail will link JB Sentral to Carrefour Pandan or ÆON Tebrau City Shopping Centre and would also run from JB Sentral to Danga Bay and Skudai...
and Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
but opposition has been vociferously expressed by Penang and Malacca residents concerned about the system being out of place in the historic downtown areas. Melaka has since focused on the less intrusive Aerorail. The federal administrative centre of Putrajaya
Putrajaya
Putrajaya is a planned city, located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to the overcrowding and congestion in the Kuala Lumpur areas...
was also supposed to have a monorail network and the main station and several metres of track have been built. However, the project has been postponed because of costs and the Malaysian government felt that it was not a priority project for the time being even though good public transportation would attract many Malaysians to re-locate to this new underpopulated city.
Melaka is currently constructing a 1.8 km (1.1 mi) Aerorail line for urban mass-transit. For more information see Malacca Monorail
Malacca Monorail
The Malacca Monorail is a monorail in Malacca City, Malacca, Malaysia.The first phase of the system, built at a cost of RM RM15.9 million and covering 1.6km from Taman Rempah in Pengkalan Rama to Kampung Bunga Raya Pantai, was opened to the public on 21 October 2010.. However, hours after opening,...
The monorail has been hit by a number of setbacks, including the suspension of the service following a British couple, Anne and James Croft, having to be rescued by firefighters after the monorail stopped unexpectedly between stations. This has been exacerbated by the imported Chinese trains not having any manuals available in either Bahasa Malaysia or English. Following this incident a number of safety upgrades have been suggested including the purchase of cherry pickers in case of any further stoppages .
Funicular
The Penang Hill RailwayPenang Hill Railway
The Penang Hill Railway is a one section funicular railway which climbs Penang Hill from Air Itam, near George Town on the island of Penang in Malaysia. The total journey takes about ten to twenty minutes. The train may stop at other intermediate stations upon request.Construction of the railway...
in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
is the only funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
railway system in Malaysia. Although overwhelmingly used to ferry tourists up Penang Hill, the train is also used by residents living in the hill. The line is made up of two separate sections, with the total length at 1.2 km (0.745647283979768 mi). Both sections are single lines with passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
s at midway. The tracks are metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
and have an incline of over 50%. It is the only funicular railway in East Asia other than the Peak Tram
Peak Tram
The Peak Tramway is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Central district to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. There have been ideas mooted to build more funiculars on other major hills in Malaysia as part of improving infrastructure to boost tourism, but there are profitability concerns and worries that this might damage the environment even though new roads are the worst culprits.
Others
Many oil palm plantations operate small, narrow-gauge, light railways to transport oil palm fruits to mills. One such example is in United Plantations in Jenderata, PerakPerak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
.
Rail-based public transport in Kuala Lumpur
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Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad
The main intercity passenger train operator is Keretapi Tanah MelayuKeretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
Berhad (KTMB), a corporation owned by the Malaysian government. It operates KTM Intercity
KTM Intercity
KTM Intercity is the brand name for a group of diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad . Most services operate from Kuala Lumpur Sentral station in the Malaysian capital. A few operate solely along the East...
passenger trains on both main lines and the Bukit Mertajam-Butterworth branch. The other branch lines are either used for freight or not used at all, with the exception of the Kuala Lumpur-Port Klang and Batu Junction-Sentul stretch of the Batu Caves branch lines which are used for its commuter train service, KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter is a commuter train service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu . It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. It is popular with commuters into the city, who thus avoid being caught in road traffic...
. The commuter service also uses the double-track and electrified portions of the West Coast Line between Rawang and Seremban. KTMB is also the main operator of freight trains in Malaysia.
Besides its own network, KTMB also operates trains on the Kerteh-Kuantan railway under contract with Petronas, the owner of the line.
Sabah State Railway Department
The Sabah State RailwaySabah State Railway
Sabah State Railway is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the currently the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134 km line from Tanjung Aru, near Kota Kinabalu, to the town of Tenom, in the...
Department is the only state department in Malaysia to operate a railway service. It operates passenger and freight services along the 134 km railway line between Tanjung Aru and Tenom in the state.
Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
. It operates two services along the 57 km standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line, the non-stop KLIA Ekspres
KLIA Ekspres
KLIA Ekspres is a non-stop, airport rail link service between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ERL station in Malaysia. The service is run by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. which began its operations on 14 April 2002...
and the commuter-like KLIA Transit
KLIA Transit
KLIA Transit is a rail service linking Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and KL International Airport as well as three other stops in between...
. Trains on the two services can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h and are the fastest in Malaysia. Besides trains, the company also provides check-in facilities at its Kuala Lumpur City Airport Terminal at KL Sentral. Except for check-in baggage of passengers, Express Rail Link does not handle any cargo.
RapidKL
RapidKL, or Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd, was set up by the government to operate public transport in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and other parts of the country as and when the need arises. It is fully owned by the Finance Ministry Incorporated. The company currently operates the two LRT lines in Kuala Lumpur, namely the Ampang Line
Ampang Line
The Ampang Line is one of the two lines in Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System network operated by RapidKL Rail network. The other rail network is the Kelana Jaya Line....
and the Kelana Jaya Line
Kelana Jaya Line
The Kelana Jaya Line is a medium-capacity rail transport system and one of the three rail transit lines in the Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System operated by RapidKL Rail network...
. Besides the LRT, RapidKL also operates some 70% of bus services in Kuala Lumpur.
KL Monorail Sdn Bhd
KL Monorail Sdn Bhd is a private company owned by public-listed Malaysian company, KL Infrastructure Group Berhad. KL Monorail owns all the assets for the Kuala Lumpur MonorailKuala Lumpur Monorail
The KL Monorail is an urban monorail system in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It opened on 31 August 2003, and serves 11 stations running with two parallel elevated tracks. It connects the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transport hub with the "Golden Triangle"...
system and is the operator of the system under a concession from the government. In May 2007, the company was put under receivership for failing to repay money borrowed for its construction.
Other operators
- Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Berhad: The main operator of airports in Malaysia is also the operator of the Aerotrain at Kuala Lumpur International AirportKuala Lumpur International AirportKuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
. - Penang State Government: The state government of PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
operates the Penang Hill RailwayPenang Hill RailwayThe Penang Hill Railway is a one section funicular railway which climbs Penang Hill from Air Itam, near George Town on the island of Penang in Malaysia. The total journey takes about ten to twenty minutes. The train may stop at other intermediate stations upon request.Construction of the railway...
.
History
Railways in Malaysia began because of the need to transport tin from mines in the hinterland of the West Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia to coastal ports. The first railway line, which was opened on 1 June 1885, was about 13 km long and ran between Port Weld and TaipingTaiping, Perak
Taiping is a town located in northern Perak, Malaysia. With a population of 191,104 , it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsar's role as the state capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh...
, the heart of the tin-rich Larut Valley in Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
state. The second line was opened a year later to link Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, again the center of tin-mining activities in the Klang Valley, and Klang
Klang
Klang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
and subsequently to Port Swettenham (Port Klang
Port Klang
Port Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Colonially known as Port Swettenham, it is also the location of the largest and busiest port in the country. As such, its economic progress has been greatly influenced by the port activities in its area...
today).
Important dates
- 1885 - The first railway line in MalayaBritish MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
between TaipingTaiping, PerakTaiping is a town located in northern Perak, Malaysia. With a population of 191,104 , it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsar's role as the state capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh...
and Port Weld is officially opened on 1 June. - 1886 - Opening of line between Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and KlangKlangKlang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
. - 1888, July - The first train crash in the country occurred in Sungai Kerawai near Teluk Anson, PerakPerakPerak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. - 1891 - Opening of the line between SerembanSerembanSeremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
and Port DicksonPort DicksonPort Dickson or PD to locals is a beach and holiday destination situated about 32 km from Seremban and 90 km from Kuala Lumpur. It is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia...
. - 1893 - Teluk AnsonTeluk IntanTeluk Intan（安順）is a town located in the state of Perak in Malaysia. It is the largest town in Hilir Perak district and third largest town in the state of Perak with an estimated population of around 120,000, about half of Hilir Perak district's total population...
to Tapah Road line opened. - 1896 - Federated Malay States Railway created, merging the operations of the initial four lines.
- 1900 - Opening of the Victoria Railway BridgeVictoria Bridge, MalaysiaVictoria Bridge is a single track railway bridge located in Karai, in the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is one of the oldest railway bridges in the country, having been constructed between December 1897 and March 1900 by the Perak State Railway as a crossing over the Perak River to serve the local...
across Perak RiverPerak RiverPerak River is the second longest river in Peninsular Malaysia after Pahang River in Pahang, Malaysia. A number of towns are on the banks of the river including the royal town of Kuala Kangsar...
in PerakPerakPerak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. - 1903 - Line between Tank Road and Woodlands in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
opened for service. - 1909 - The West Coast LineWest Coast line, MalaysiaThe West Coast Line is a railway serving the west coast of Malaysia. The line links Padang Besar on the Malaysia–Thailand border in Perlis. There, it connects with the State Railway of Thailand to Singapore via Butterworth, Penang for connections to Penang and the capital of Kuala...
between Prai in PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
state and Johor BahruJohor BahruJohor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
completed and opened. - 1910 - The first stretch of the East Coast Line between GemasGemasGemas is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, just near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. The town is located approximately 165 km from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. It is the meeting place of Malaysian west and east coast rail lines operated by Malayan Railways. For this...
and Bahau is opened. - 1923 - First train carrying goods travels across the Malaysia-Singapore Causeway on 17 September, followed by the first passenger train on 1 October the same year.
- 1931 - East Coast Line between Tumpat and GemasGemasGemas is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, just near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. The town is located approximately 165 km from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. It is the meeting place of Malaysian west and east coast rail lines operated by Malayan Railways. For this...
completed with the opening of the last stretch between Gua Musang and Kuala Gris in KelantanKelantanKelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
. - 3 August 1995 - The first KTM KomuterKTM KomuterKTM Komuter is a commuter train service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu . It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. It is popular with commuters into the city, who thus avoid being caught in road traffic...
trains, Malaysia's first to be run on electricity, began taking passengers between Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Rawang. Entire commuter train network opened to passengers with the final stretch to Seremban becoming operational on 18 December 1995. - 2002, 14 April - Malaysia's first high-speed train, the KLIA EkspresKLIA EkspresKLIA Ekspres is a non-stop, airport rail link service between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ERL station in Malaysia. The service is run by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. which began its operations on 14 April 2002...
between KL Sentral and Kuala Lumpur International AirportKuala Lumpur International AirportKuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
was officially launched. At the same time, the Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal in KL Sentral was also opened. - 30 July 2011 - KTMB's Tanjung PagarTanjong Pagar railway stationTanjong Pagar railway station , also called Keppel Road railway station or Singapore railway station, was until 30 June 2011 the southern terminus of the network operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu , the main railway operator in Malaysia. The land on which the station and the KTM railway tracks are...
and Bukit TimahBukit Timah railway stationBukit Timah Railway Station was a railway station and crossing loop in Singapore, owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu , the main railway operator in Malaysia....
railway stations were closed. All Singapore operations are moved to Woodlands Train CheckpointWoodlands train CheckpointWoodlands Train Checkpoint is a train checkpoint in Woodlands, Singapore co-owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu, the Malaysian rail operator, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore...
.
Rawang-Ipoh double tracking and electrification project
The double-tracking and electrification of 179 km of the main West Coast line enable KTMB to run trains at a maximum speed of 160 km/h between Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
. KTMB has introduced a rapid intercity service between KL Sentral and Ipoh, running 16 services a day initially and ultimately 32 services a day. This project, which has been beset by problems and delays, is completed by end of 2007 and it cut down the journey time of KL-Ipoh to 2.5 hours. This project also enable KTMB to extend its KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter is a commuter train service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu . It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. It is popular with commuters into the city, who thus avoid being caught in road traffic...
service to Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim is a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai Bernam serving as the natural divider....
. The cost of the project originally was RM4.6 billion. The project started in 2000 but has been beset by numerous problems and as of June 2007, it is expected to be completed by the end of 2007 and operations are expected to start in 2008. On 14 January 2008, the transport minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, confirmed that the rail lines are currently being used since January 2008, although train service between Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
is unelectrified.
For more details, see Keretapi Tanah Melayu page.
Ipoh-Padang Besar, Seremban-Gemas double tracking and electrification project
This project was proposed in 2002 as a continuation of the Rawang-Ipoh double-tracking and electrification project. It consists of the 329 km "Northern section" between Ipoh and Padang and the "Southern section" between Seremban and Johor Bahru. On 17 December 2003, not long after taking over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad, new Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that the Malaysian government had decided to postpone the project. The government revived the project in 2007 when on March 16, Deputy Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak announced that the Cabinet Committee on Public Transport had decided to revive the shelved Northern section double tracking project. A joint venture between Gamuda BerhadGamuda Berhad
Gamuda Berhad is an engineering, property and infrastructure company in Malaysia.The company was incorporated on October 6, 1976 and was listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia on 10 August 1992...
and Malaysian Mining Corporation Berhad will be handling the Northern section while Indian Railway Construction Company (Ircon) has been awarded the Seremban-Gemas portion of the Southern section. Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said work on the Northern section will begin by the end of 2007 and is expected to be completed in five years.
For more details, see Keretapi Tanah Melayu page.
Sentul-Batu Caves double tracking and electrification project
The 7.2 km extension to the Batu Caves branch line started at the end of 2006. The project - which will cost RM515mil - will include electrification, double-tracking and refitting the existing old track, signalling, communications, as well as construction of new stations at Sentul, Batu Cantonment, Batu Village, Taman Wahyu and Batu CavesBatu Caves
Batu Caves , is a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples, located in Gombak district, north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village.The cave is one of the...
. Sentul is currently the terminus for KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter
KTM Komuter is a commuter train service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu . It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. It is popular with commuters into the city, who thus avoid being caught in road traffic...
's Sentul-Port Klang Line and the extension will enable the commuter train service to be extended to Batu Caves. Site possession was given to contractor YTL Corporation Berhad on November 17, 2006. The project is expected to be completed in 30 months' time in May 2009.
Kuala Lumpur light rail transit expansion
On 29 August 2006, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak announced a RM10 billion plan to expand Kuala Lumpur's public transport network. The plan included extending the existing Kelana Jaya LineKelana Jaya Line
The Kelana Jaya Line is a medium-capacity rail transport system and one of the three rail transit lines in the Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System operated by RapidKL Rail network...
from Kelana Jaya to USJ and the Ampang Line
Ampang Line
The Ampang Line is one of the two lines in Kuala Lumpur Rail Transit System network operated by RapidKL Rail network. The other rail network is the Kelana Jaya Line....
from Sri Petaling to Puchong and USJ. The plan also will see a new light rail transit line being constructed between Kota Damansara to the northwest of Kuala Lumpur and Cheras which lies to the southeast of Kuala Lumpur. No details of the alignment of the extensions nor the locations of new stations were revealed.
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad is a 100% government-owned company which was set up to own the assets of several public transport services in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, under the government's move to restructure the city's public transport system...
, the owner of most public transport assets in Kuala Lumpur, signed an agreement on 13 October 2006 with Bombardier and a Malaysian company joint venture for the purchase of 22 light rail vehicle sets with an option for another 13 for RM1.2 billion. The 22 vehicles will have four cars each and will boost the carrying capacity of the fleet by 1,500 people. The 22 sets will be delivered from August 2008. The system currently operates 35 two-cars train set. On 27 July 2009, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced that the 35 new four-car trains will be operational by end-2012.
Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed railway
Just after the completion of the KLIA EkspresKLIA Ekspres
KLIA Ekspres is a non-stop, airport rail link service between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ERL station in Malaysia. The service is run by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. which began its operations on 14 April 2002...
, the project proponent YTL Corporation Berhad proposed a high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
link between Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. At that time, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia could not afford such an expensive project. YTL again proposed the project in 2006 and as of June 2007, the Malaysian Government said the feasibility of the proposal was still being studied. The RM8 billion project would slash rail travel time from more than 6 hours to about 90 minutes. The main stumbling blocks, apart from costs, appears to be the JB-Woodlands Causeway which Mahathir had once hoped to replace with a 'scenic bridge'. There were doubts about the capacity of such a curved bridge to carry a rail line and YTL having to use KTM land which runs from Woodlands to Keppel. Redevelopment of this land in Singapore could probably help fund the proposed railway if the various parties involved each had a stake in each other. If the Causeway remains or a straight bridge is one day built to replace it, there should be no difficulty to have a high speed line on either. The high speed line proposal, like the bridge proposal, appears to have reached a stumbling block which only can be overcome at the highest political levels where other bilateral issues have to first be resolved or dealt with at the same time.
As of December 2007, YTL Corporation Group Managing Director, Tan Sri Francis Yeoh Sock Ping, express great confidence that the project will be approved by both governments. JPMorgan added that almost all regulatory road blocks in building the railway is resolved. The key consideration in the project approval rests in the role of developing the Iskandar Development Region. On January 2008, the transport minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said that the government is still looking in the proposal and had yet to make a final decision. He added that the train would be Broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
and will run at 350 km/h. If this is the case, new lines need to be laid down as the currently ERL tracks are only Standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. In March 2008, the government is still studying the social impact of the project through the Economic Planning Unit. The Deputy Prime Minister stress out that the risk and funding of the project will squarely rest on the private sector.
Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, a major railroad partner in Malaysia has express interest in giving out solutions to the project. They have proposed Velaro trains which has a top speed of 350 km/h as a solution for the project.
On April 22, 2008, the government announce that the project was put on hold indefinitely due to high cost. The government said that the model that YTL corp. was proposing requires the government to borne a significant amount of financing. According to news reports, the decision came at the time of political upheaval due to the recent general election
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
, supported by voices like Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
who opposes such projects and consideration to protect Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
.
On March 2009, it was reported the YTL was considering to revive the project again. It will seek to build the rail line on the coastline of Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
rather than an earlier proposal of building on the existing track.
Sarawak Railway Line
As part of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable EnergySarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy
The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy or SCORE is a new development corridor in central Sarawak state, Malaysia. SCORE was launched on 11 February 2008. It is one of the five regional development corridors being developed throughout the country...
project, the government is planning a 320 km railway track between Similajau in Bintulu
Bintulu
Bintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....
Division and Tanjung Manis in Mukah
Mukah
Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia, is a coastal town which serves as the administrative center of the Mukah District in Mukah Division, Sarawak. It is located by the South China Sea, about 2.5 hours by road from the town of Sibu. Mukah is also accessible by air by MASwings from Kuching and Miri. The...
Division. The cost nor the project time line is yet to be revealed.
Gemas - Johor Baharu Double Tracking and Electrification
This section has been mooted as the next major upgrade in the KTMB network and is likely to form a large part of the Governments 10th economic plan.Klang Valley MRT
The Klang Valley MRT is a Gamuda BerhadGamuda Berhad
Gamuda Berhad is an engineering, property and infrastructure company in Malaysia.The company was incorporated on October 6, 1976 and was listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia on 10 August 1992...
-MMC Corporation Berhad
MMC Corporation Berhad
MMC is an investment holding company with interests in "Transport & Logistics, Energy & Utilities and Engineering & Construction".In Transport and Logistics, MMC holds equity stakes in the Port of Tanjung Pelepas , and In Energy and Utilities, MMC holds equity stakes in MMC is an investment...
proposed 3-line 150 km Mass Rapid Transit system for the Klang Valley which envisages a “Wheel and Spoke” concept comprising two northeast-southwest radial lines and one circle line looping around Kuala Lumpur city. The proposal was announced in early-June 2010 and construction works targeted to commence in early-2011, leading to project completion in 2016.
The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system will be the backbone of a new transport system in Klang Valley, which will be home to an estimated 10 million people by 2020. The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system will have several lines integrated with the light rail transit (LRT), Monorail, KTMB Komuter and intra- and inter-city bus services to form an effective public transportation system.
In December 2010, the Government announced that the Sungai Buloh – Kajang Line will be the first to take off.
The Sungai Buloh – Kajang Line will run from Sungai Buloh to Kajang through Kuala Lumpur city centre. This route which runs from north-west to south-east of Kuala Lumpur is densely populated and is currently inadequately served by rail-based public transport.
Upon expected completion by 2016, the Sungai Buloh – Kajang line will provide train service to 1.2 million people with an estimated daily ridership of 442,000.
Apart from the Sungai Buloh - Kajang Line, other lines will be built based on the Land Public Transport Masterplan and Urban Rail Development Plan being drawn by the Land Public Transport Commission.
The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system including all the stations will be owned by the Government of Malaysia through Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad.
Prasarana, which is 100% owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, is currently the owner of the Klang Valley’s light rail transit and monorail networks. RapidKL, which is the current operator of the Klang Valley’s light rail transit, monorail and a majority of its bus routes, will also be operating the future mass rapid transit system.
The newly established Land Public Transport Commission or Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) will be the supervising agency of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Project.
See also
- Bukit Berapit Rail TunnelBukit Berapit Rail TunnelBukit Berapit Rail Tunnel is the longest rail tunnel in Malaysia. It is located in Bukit Berapit near Bukit Gantang, Perak, Malaysia.-History:Construction of the tunnel was started in 1893 by the British and completed in 1905....
- Keretapi Tanah MelayuKeretapi Tanah MelayuKeretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
- KL Monorail
- KLIA EkspresKLIA EkspresKLIA Ekspres is a non-stop, airport rail link service between Kuala Lumpur Sentral and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ERL station in Malaysia. The service is run by Express Rail Link Sdn. Bhd. which began its operations on 14 April 2002...
/KLIA TransitKLIA TransitKLIA Transit is a rail service linking Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and KL International Airport as well as three other stops in between...
- Rail transport by countryRail transport by countryThis page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country.Other indexes available include:*List of railway companies by country*List of countries by rail transport network size*Rail usage statistics by country...
- Sabah State RailwaySabah State RailwaySabah State Railway is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the currently the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134 km line from Tanjung Aru, near Kota Kinabalu, to the town of Tenom, in the...
- Transport in MalaysiaTransport in MalaysiaTransport in Malaysia started to develop during British colonial rule, and the country's transport network is now diverse and developed. Malaysia's road network is extensive, covering 63,445 km, including 1,630 km of expressways. The main highway of the country extends over 800 km,...