Hundreds take JB to KL electric train on first day of service

12/12/2025 1 Views

JOHOR BAHRU – Hundreds of passengers boarded the

first electric train service (ETS)

from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur on the morning of Dec 12, in a milestone for rail travel in Malaysia.

In JB Sentral, the waiting zone was abuzz as passengers arrived as early as 7.30am to take the sold-out train that left the station at around 8.40am. Another service will leave for KL Sentral at 4.20pm.

Passengers were also seen taking selfies and spotted wearing matching t-shirts with train designs. Other passengers queued up for ETS merchandise, and taking commemorative photos at a KTM booth.

When the gates opened at 8am, passengers scanned their e-boarding passes on the gantries and were greeted by cabin crew clad in yellow uniform. KTM staff handed out goodie bags containing wooden replicas of the train tickets to mark the historic occasion.

Passengers scanned their e-boarding passes on the gantries and were greeted by cabin crew clad in yellow uniform.

ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

The ETS – a faster electric-powered railway line which takes 4.5 hours to go from JB to KL – is the latest extension of the Gemas-JB electrified double-track rail project in Johor.

The long-awaited train service by Malaysian train operator, Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), will cut travel time between KL and JB to around 4.5 hours, from five to seven hours by car or bus.

KTM said that of 5am on Dec 9, all tickets for the first train out of JB on Dec 12 were fully sold, except for a handful of seats for persons with disabilities.

It added that 409 passengers had booked tickets for the train, including 115 non-Malaysians.

The long-awaited train service by Malaysian train operator, Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), will cut travel time between KL and JB to around 4.5 hours.

ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Before this new train service, rail passengers travelling upstate from JB have to take the diesel-powered locomotive to Gemas, a town in Negeri Sembilan, before changing to the faster electric train to Kuala Lumpur.

The JB-Gemas trip typically takes 4.5 hours. Passengers also have to transfer to an electric train to reach KL, with the additional 2.5 hours making the entire journey about seven hours in total.

Johor’s top official for trade and investment, Mr Lee Ting Han, told The Straits Times that the ETS service will be a significant boost for inner Johor districts such as Kluang and Paloh.

“With these towns already along the rail corridor, improved ETS connectivity shortens travel time, expands access to jobs, education and services, and allows people to stay rooted in their hometowns while benefiting from national growth,” he said.

Passengers taking photos at the KTM booth in JB Sentral on Dec 12.

ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

The 192km Gemas-JB extension project which began in 2017, was initially expected to be ready by 2021. But work was delayed due to the pandemic and complications in the land acquisition process.

With the southern electric line finally complete, Malaysia’s rail backbone on the west coast now effectively runs on electrified double track from Padang Besar in Perlis in the far north to JB.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke in a ceremony on Dec 11 said that it now takes 10.5 hours to travel the entire route from north to south of Malaysia.