JOHOR BARU: It was a lucky coincidence for a teenager here who got to board Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd’s (KTMB) Southern Express train for the first time just one day before the service ends its run.
Muhammad Arif Saadan, 16, said he had always wanted to go take the train service, but never had the chance to do so before this.
“My friend and I decided to ride the train to Gemas to visit our friends there. We opted for the train since its schedule fitted our plan.
“It was just a coincidence, but I am thankful for it, as I may not have had the chance to ever experience being on this train if we had decided to opt for a different form of transportation,” said the student when met at JB Sentral here yesterday.
In a statement on Monday, KTMB announced that its Southern Express train service on the Gemas-JB Sentral-Gemas route, which had been operating for nine years, will be terminated effective Jan 1.
The move is part of an adjustment to planning and the optimisation of passenger service operations along the southern corridor, in line with the progress and infrastructure readiness of the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Tracking Project.






