Malaysia Railway - KTMB

Malaysia railway is formerly known as the Malayan Railway Administration, it came to be known as KTMB (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad) after the government led corporatisation in 1992. As the only railway operator in Malaysia, the railway remained wholly owned by the federal government. The 1,669 Km Malaysia railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. Fares are generally reasonable, but the low speed of the intercity trains on the narrow gauge tracks make them not competitive with other modes of transportation.

The current KTMB route covers West Coast and East Coast of peninsular Malaysia. The West Coast line runs from Padang Besar on the Malaysia - Thailand Border in Perlis (where it connects with the State Railway of Thailand's network) to Singapore via Butterworth, Penang (for connections to Penang) and Kuala Lumpur. The East Coast line runs between Gemas in Negeri Sembilan and Tumpat in Kelantan. Gemas is the rail junction between the West Coast and East Coast lines. It is called the East Coast line because it serves two of Peninsular Malaysia's East Coast states, namely Pahang and Kelantan. The train travel thru' the deep jungle of Malaysia to reach the east coast side thus earning a nickname - 'Jungle Railway'. The only state that is not serve by KTMB Malaysia Railway network is Terengganu. All of the lines in the Malaysia Railway network are single - track, except for the section of the main line between Rawang and Seremban, and also the branch line Sentul - Kuala Lumpur - Port Klang, which is now double tracked and electrified to 25kV AC, to accommodate electric commuter trains. There are several other railway lines not under the control of KTMB. This includes the Kuantan - Kerteh line which is owned by Petronas and Sabah Railway from Tenom to Tanjung Aru (Kota Kinabalu).

KTM Komuter

Malaysia Railway has 2 type of service that caters for passengers namely KTM Komuter & KTM Intercity. KTM Komuter For a faster, easier and more relaxing way of travelling around Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia capital), KTM Komuter is the best choice of transportation. With this service, you can forget about the hassle of traffic congestion in and out of city centre. First introduce in 1995, Malaysia Railway provide the suburban railway connection from the city centres to suburban areas. Today, KTMB provides 248 commuter services daily, serving 42 stations along 153 route-kilometers from Rawang to Seremban and Sentul to Pelabuhan Klang with 15 minutes frequency during peak hours and 20 minutes frequency during off-peak hours. You can rest in the comfort of the air-conditioned coaches while being leisurely taken to the destination of your choice at very reasonable fares. For those who drive to the stations or halts, 'Park & Ride' facility is provided at a nominal charge. The KTM Komuter has made shopping complexes and recreational centers' more accessible, particularly with the connection to Star - LRT (Bank Negara and Bandar Tasik Selatan halts) and Putra - LRT (Stesen Sentral Kuala Lumpur) at the respective interchange stations. Passengers bound for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport have option to board the bus services from Nilai halt at RM2 per trip. KTM Komuter tickets can be purchased at the counters or by using the self-service Ticket Vending Machines, which are available at all Malaysia Railway stations and halts. For the latest fares, click here! For KTM Komuter routes, click here!

KTM Intercity KTM Berhad's Intercity service is a must-try, especially for those who wants a safe, hassle-free and relaxed-and-easy mode of travel between cities or to remote areas. The 24 Intercity Malaysia Railway services daily consisting of express trains to various destinations such as Kuala Lumpur - Singapore, Kuala Lumpur - Hatyai, Kuala Lumpur - Butterworth (Penang) and Singapore - Tumpat as well as local trains catering for the transportation requirement of the rural areas, especially in Kelantan and Pahang. The trains also have one cross-border train service operating between Butterworth and Bangkok, Thailand. There are two Day Express trains namely Ekspres Sinaran and Ekspres Rakyat and four Night Express trains namely Senandung Malam, Senandung Langkawi, Ekspres Wau and Ekspres Timuran. With an extensive network throughout the Malaysia Peninsular, Malaysia Railway service connects cities and major towns to the countryside, enabling access even to some remote areas. There is a fares discount for children, special organization, disable person and senior citizen. For more info on KTM Intercity connection, click here!

Malaysia Railway fares for KTM Intercity

Some of the on going & future project identify by Malaysia Railway includes': The 179km Rawang - Ipoh electrification and double tracking project that will enable KTMB to run trains at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The introduction of a rapid intercity service, between Ipoh - KL Sentral from 16 services to 32 services a day that will hopefully cut down traveling time of KL - Ipoh to 2.5 hours. Upgrading of Tampin Station and Ipoh Station. Construction of JB Sentral train station that links to the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex under the Southern Integrated Gateway project which is expected to be completed by September 2007. It will enable KTMB to offer frequent commuter services on the Kulai - Senai - Kempas Baru - JB - Singapore route that is expected to be popular among Singaporean passengers taking AirAsia flights from Senai Airport, freight service and also Johoreans working in Singapore. A Malaysia Railway transit terminal is being planned by Senai Airport from JB to link Senai to the new CIQ. A high-speed rail link from KL to Singapore is currently under study by YTL Corporation, a potential RM 8 billion project which would slash rail travel time from more than 8 hours to less than an hour.

KTMB also provide a package plan for tourist who like to visit some of the attractions in certain part of Malaysia by rail. The current package plan to Penang via Malaysia Railway will be as follows: PEARL OF THE ORIENT- PENANG ISLAND (3D 2N) ** from RM410 Inclusive Of: 2-ways ticket (economy class) from KL 2 nights accommodation Transportation Trishaw & Trinkles Tours Penang Hills & Temple Tours Butterfly Farm & Botanical Tours Historical Georgetown Tour Daily breakfast And if you like to visit others interesting cities in Malaysia by rail, visit KTMB for more holidays package plan.

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