KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) Electric Train Service 3 (ETS3) for the KL Sentral–Johor Baru route, set to begin Friday, is expected to cut travel time to around 4.5 hours, down from the current five- to seven-hour road journey.
With the southern electric line now complete, Malaysia's west coast rail backbone runs on electrified double track from Padang Besar in the far north to Johor Baru, which borders Singapore.
Johor Baru is linked to Singapore by a causeway and a second bridge.
The long-awaited train service which will pass the historic state of Melaka will be officially launched on Friday.
KTMB expects strong demand for the service, driven by the year-end school holidays and rising cross-border traffic from Singapore. The 30 per cent launch discount for the first 5,000 passengers has already been fully redeemed.
Meanwhile, The Straits Times reported that just before dawn today, the new electric train service from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baru departed Kuala Lumpur Railway Station on a media preview run.
The train is bound for Kempas Baru station in Johor Baru, where the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will attend the launch of the service.
In Kuala Lumpur, the platform was bustling at 6am as officials from KTMB, and the Transport Ministry boarded the train. The service marks the completion of the long-awaited 192-kilometre Gemas–Johor Baru electrified double-track project.
The six-coach train, with seating for 312 passengers, features four toilets, plug points at every seat, a dedicated "coach bistro" serving meals onboard, and prayer rooms for Muslim travellers.
Originally launched in 2017, the 192-kilometre extension was expected to be completed by October 2021. However, construction was delayed over three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges in land acquisition.
From Dec 12, four existing KL Sentral-Kluang ETS services will be extended to JB Sentral, offering passengers in the southern state a direct rail link to Kuala Lumpur.
There will be four ETS services daily on the KL Sentral–JB Sentral route: Two departures from KL Sentral (7.45am and 5.35pm) and two from JB Sentral (8.40am and 4.20pm). Starting from Jan 1, 2026, the first service from KL Sentral will depart at 7.55am.
KTMB expects strong demand for this route, particularly with the year-end school holidays in Malaysia as well as Singapore.
Acting group chief executive officer and Chief Technical Officer Ahmad Nizam Mohamed Amin said in a press release on Dec 8 that the new southern ETS route will significantly improve mobility for Johor residents heading to KL Sentral, before connecting to destinations in the north and on the East Coast.
The improved connectivity will also draw more visitors, including those from Singapore, to Johor and elsewhere in Malaysia, giving the tourism industry and economy a boost, he said.
KTMB expects strong demand for this route, particularly with the year-end school holidays in Malaysia as well as Singapore.
A normal one-way fare from JB or KL starts from RM82. Tickets went on sale at 12.30am on Dec 9 via the KITS Style mobile app, KTMB kiosks and the operator's official website. - FMT
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