Rail transport in Malaysia

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Rail transport in Malaysia
Standard gauge
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
292.6 km (181.8 mi)
Straddle beam monorail8.6 km (5.3 mi)
Features
Tunnel length3,300 m (10,800 ft)
Longest tunnelBukit Berapit Rail Tunnel
Highest elevation185 m (607 ft)
 atTenom railway station
Lowest elevation4 m (13 ft)
 atPort Klang Komuter station

Rail transport in

mass rapid transit
(MRT), monorails, airport rail links and a funicular railway line. Heavy rail is mostly used for intercity services and freight transport as well as some urban public transport, while rapid transit rails are used for intracity urban public transport in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley region. There are two airport rail link systems linking Kuala Lumpur with the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. The longest monorail line in the country is also used for public transport in Kuala Lumpur, while the only funicular railway line is available in Penang.

The railway network covers most of the 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia. In East Malaysia, only the state of Sabah has railways. The network is also connected to the Thai railway 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) network in the north. If the Burma Railway is rebuilt, services to Myanmar, India, and China could be initiated.

Present railway infrastructure

Summary of Malaysian railway infrastructure station and lines (West Malaysia, October 2018)
Current railway network of peninsular Malaysia.

Metre gauge rail

Peninsular Malaysia

KTM Class 91 at Ipoh.
KTM Class 93 at Pulau Sebang/Tampin.

There are two primary railway networks in

locally manufactured concrete sleepers. Since the early 1980s, companies formed via international collaboration, such as Mastrak Sdn Bhd had been producing these sleepers via technology transfer.[8][9][10]
In the five years period of 1982-1987 alone, it was estimated that around 500,000 pieces of concrete sleepers had been laid down for the Kerdau-Jerantut and Sungai Yu-Tumpat lines.

Currently, a total of 767 km from the 1,776 km railway network is

double-tracked and electrified.[11] The tracks include a portion of the West Coast Line (from Gemas to Padang Besar) as well as the entire Port Klang and Batu Caves branch lines. The rail lines from Tanjung Malim to Pulau Sebang/Tampin, Padang Besar to Padang Rengas, as well as the Port Klang, Batu Caves and Butterworth branch lines are used for commuter rail services.[12]

Efforts in retrofitting the old tracks were done under the Electrified Double Track Project (EDTP) orchestrated by the Minister of Transport.[13] The first EDTP was done from Rawang to Ipoh from 2001 to 2009, stretching 179 km while the second EDTP was done from Ipoh to Padang Besar at a length of 329 km from January 2008 to November 2014.[14] There were also smaller scale EDTPs initiated in branch lines, such as the 7.2 km Batu Caves branch line, which was completed in 2010.

Malaysia's national petroleum company, Petronas, had once built and operated a single-track 75 km Kerteh–Kuantan Port railway line starting 1 April 2004. Despite this, the railway system was of poor quality and locomotives had to operate well below the designated speed. On 17 November 2010, the railway was eventually closed due to a number of recurring technical problems on the railway system such as drainage problems, improper slope protection and alleged usage of weak fill material within the embankment slope.[15][16]

Borneo

The Sabah State Railway.

The only railway network present in the island of Borneo is the 134 km (83 mi) railway line in Sabah, linking Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu and Tenom in the Interior Division. It is operated by the Sabah State Railway and has 15 stations.[17] Efforts of modernisation were undertaken from 2006 to 2011 and as widespread usage of concrete sleepers becomes apparent in the Malaysian Peninsula, the Sabah State Railway had also installed these sleepers for their railway network.[18]

Standard-gauge railways

The 292.6 km (181.8 mi) standard-gauge railways are mostly used within the Klang Valley area, where urban public transport is done.

Express Rail Link (ERL)

ERL KLIA Transit Line

The

Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral). It is operated by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd. The rail link currently has two services: The KLIA Ekspres with 3 stations and KLIA Transit with 6 stations. The trains used can reach speeds of up to 176 km/h (109 mph).[19]

Light Rapid Transit (LRT)

Sri Petaling Line

The

Shah Alam Line. The lines are operated by Rapid Rail and owned by Prasarana Malaysia. It is not to be confused with a light rail transit (LRT), which bears a similar acronym.[20]

The Ampang and Sri Petaling lines started with a single rail line from Sentul Timur with branches to Ampang and Putra Heights via Chan Sow Lin station. The combined 45.1 km (28.0 mi) line has 36 stations and uses semi-automated trains. The lines entered service with the first phase opened on 16 December 1996, second phase in July 1998 and the recent extension on 30 June 2016.[21]

The Kelana Jaya line is a 46.4 km (28.8 mi) LRT system which runs from

Sri Petaling Line via Putra Heights had also finished on 1 July 2016.[22]

Automated People Mover

The only automated people mover system (APM) in Malaysia is the Aerotrain, which is located within Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The 1.2 km (0.75 mi) APM first commenced operation in 1998 and is operated by the Engineering Transportation bureau of Malaysia Airport (Sepang) Sdn Bhd. The system serves from Terminal A of KLIA to Satellite Terminal A and takes around 2.5 minutes of travel time.[23] The system ceased operations on 2 March 2023 due to technical problems on the aging system,[24] and will gradually reopen starting June 2024.[25]

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)

Rapid KL Kajang Line
Rapid KL Putrajaya Line

As the population of the

MRT Putrajaya Line and the upcoming MRT Circle Line. All three lines are operated by Rapid Rail and owned by MRT Corp.[26][27] MRT stations are also supported with additional parking areas and feeder buses for last mile connectivity.[28]

The

fully automated driverless rail system with 29 stations and stretches 47 km (29 mi) from Kwasa Damansara to Kajang. The KG line began construction on 8 July 2011, and its first phase finished on 16 December 2016. Since its full opening on 17 July 2017, the KG line has been serving in various densely populated suburban areas such as Bandar Utama, Kota Damansara and Balakong.[26][29][30][31]

The second MRT line currently in operation is the

fully automated driverless train-sets running from Kwasa Damansara to Putrajaya Sentral with a track length of 57.7 km (35.9 mi). Works in building the PYL line began on 15 September 2016 and its first phase was opened on 16 June 2022. The second phase also began operations on 16 March 2023. The PYL line provides a new and cheaper alternative for the population of Putrajaya to travel to the heart of Kuala Lumpur without the need for a personal vehicle or using KLIA Transit. The PYL line also links several townships south of Kuala Lumpur, including Cyberjaya, Seri Kembangan and Sungai Besi as well as Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).[26][32][33][34]

Monorail

Rapid KL Monorail Line
Malacca City's former monorail system

Malaysia has two monorail systems, one in Kuala Lumpur and another in Malacca City. Both monorail systems use elevated straddle-beams as rail tracks. The one in Kuala Lumpur is mainly used for urban public transport, while the one in Malacca City, now abandoned, is used as a displayed tourist attraction.

The

KL Sentral to Titiwangsa, as well as other areas such as Pudu, Bukit Bintang and Bukit Nanas.[35] In 2021, the system served a total of 4.226 million passengers.[36][37]

Another monorail system in Malaysia is the Melaka Monorail. It is a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) uni-directional single track monorail system which formerly had three stations.[38] Since its opening on 21 October 2010, the system suffered various incidents, including frequent breakdowns and lack of maintenance.[39] The company, Monorail Theme Park & Studios, which operated the system, had its contract terminated in September 2021 and the system had stopped operating. Now, there are no plans of reviving this system.[40]

Funicular System

The Doppelmayr Garaventa 100-FUL Penang Hill coach at lower station.

The

Air Itam to the Upper Station on top of the Penang Hill. Despite the upgrade done in 2010, the aging rail infrastructure had led to the system having several breakdowns as it could not support large number of passengers at certain times.[42]

Cable Transport

Langkawi Cable Car Top Station, the two circular viewing platforms are visible

Cable transport in Malaysia is typically used in the tourism industry to transport tourists to the peak of a hill or highland using gondola lifts. As of May 2023, there are three cable transport systems built: Langkawi Cable Car, Awana Skyway and Genting Skyway. The former is located in Langkawi Island, while the latter two are located in Genting Highlands.

The Langkawi Cable Car, or Langkawi SkyCab, is a 2.2 km (1.4 mi) cable transport system transporting tourists to the peak of Mount Machinchang. The journey time takes around 15 minutes, and upon arrival, tourists are able to go to the Langkawi Sky Bridge via an inclined elevator. The construction of the cable car was realised following a survey of the most feasible method of public transportation on Mount Machinchang. The cable car commenced operations in 2003, owned by the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) and operated by Panorama Langkawi Sdn Bhd.[43][44]

Another two cable car systems located in Genting Highlands are Awana Skyway and Genting Skyway. Awana Skyway is a three-station 2.4 km (1.5 mi) cable car system owned by Genting Malaysia Berhad.[45] From 1977 to 2014, the system used an aerial tramway lift and had two stations.[46][47] A newer mono cable gondola lift system was later constructed on the existing system and was subsequently opened in 2016. It uses 60mm diameter solid cable wire ropes with 22 pylons, making it safer compared to the previous system. The system now has three stations, taking passengers to either the Awana Station, Chin Swee Station or the SkyAvenue Station, with the whole trip taking around 10 minutes and with an operating speed of 6 m/s.[48]

Besides the Awana Skyway, Genting Skyway is also a gondola lift cable car system in Genting Highlands. The system was opened on 21 February 1997, with two stations from Gohtong Jaya to Highlands Hotel. With a length of 3.38 km (2.10 mi), the system now serves as an alternative route whenever Awana Skyway is closed for maintenance. The trip duration for this system is 15 minutes, much longer compared to its twin system. This system is also owned by Genting Malaysia Berhad.[49][50]

Rail-based public transport in Kuala Lumpur

Commuter rail service

Seremban Line
Between Batu Caves and Pulau Sebang/Tampin
27 stations over 135.6 km, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
(KTM)
Port Klang Line
Between Tanjung Malim and Port Klang
33 stations over 127.5 km, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
(KTM)

Mass rapid transit (MRT) service

Kajang
29 stations + plus 3 provisional over 51 km, operated by Rapid Rail
Putrajaya Sentral
36 stations + plus 5 provisional over 57.7 km, operated by Rapid Rail
13 Circle Line
A loop between Bukit Kiara and UM
Pre-construction process, will consists of 31 stations over 50.8 km, operated by Rapid Rail (previously shelved)

Light rapid transit (LRT) service

Ampang Line
Between Sentul Timur and Ampang
18 stations over 15 km, operated by Rapid Rail
Sri Petaling Line
Between Sentul Timur and Putra Heights
29 stations + 2 provisional over 37.6 km, operated by Rapid Rail
Kelana Jaya Line
Between Gombak and Putra Heights
37 stations over 46.4 km, operated by Rapid Rail
Bandar Utama and Johan Setia
Currently under construction, consists of 25 stations + 1 provisional over 37 km, operated by Rapid Rail

Monorail service

KL Sentral and Titiwangsa
11 stations over 8.6 km, operated by Rapid Rail
14 Putrajaya Monorail
Serving Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kajang
Currently under planning; route, stations and operator to be confirmed

Airport rail link service

klia2
3 stations over 59.1 km, operated by Express Rail Link (ERL)
klia2
6 stations over 59.1 km, operated by Express Rail Link (ERL)
KL Sentral and Terminal Skypark
3 stations over 24.5 km, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu
(KTM)

Railway operators

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad

The main intercity passenger train operator is Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), a corporation owned by the Malaysian government. It operates the diesel-hauled KTM Intercity passenger trains on the entire East Coast Line and the southern portion of the West Coast Line, and the electrified KTM ETS passenger trains along the remaining portion of the West Coast Line, between Padang Besar and Gemas and the Butterworth branch line. KTM also operates freight trains along both railway lines. Under the KTM Komuter, KTM operates commuter rail services along double-track and electrified portions of the West Coast Line between Tanjung Malim in Perak and Pulau Sebang in Negeri Sembilan, and between Padang Besar in Perlis and Padang Rengas in Perak, as well as the Butterworth, Port Klang and Batu Caves branch lines.

Besides its own network, KTM also operates trains on the Kerteh-Kuantan railway under contract with Petronas, the owner of the line.

Sabah State Railway

The Sabah State Railway, previously the North Borneo Railway, 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 East Malaysia.

Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd

The

KL Sentral
. Except for check-in baggage of passengers, Express Rail Link does not handle any cargo.

Rapid Rail

Kelana Jaya Line and KL Monorail
.

Other operators

History

Headquarters of the F.M.S. Railways at Kuala Lumpur - circa 1910. The headquarters was later moved to a building opposite Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Railway line heading north from Kuala Lumpur on left, railway sidings on right.
Evolution of Malayan Railway from 1890 to 2023

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

Klang and subsequently to Port Swettenham (Port Klang
today).

Timeline

Projects and expansion plans

Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrification and Double-Tracking

The MYR 8 billion contract was expected to be tendered out by end 2008 pending a mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The project would have included building over 200 km of parallel railway tracks, including stations, depots, halts, yards and bridges and cover systems such as electrification, signalling and communications.[52] This included the realignment between Pulau Sebang, Melaka to Gemas section.

In May 2009, Global Rail Sdn Bhd, a relatively small contractor and its Chinese partner, China Infraglobe submitted a proposal to the Government to build and upgrade tracks from Gemas to Johor Bahru at a cost of MYR 5 billion. According to them, the project would be on a private finance initiative basis and the plan submitted to the Finance Ministry later in June 2009 was conditional upon signing over mineral rights in Johor State.[53]

On 29 January 2011, Transport Minister

China Railway Construction, but nothing was confirmed yet. Kong said two consultants had been appointed, a design consultant and an independent checker, to monitor the project. The construction of the 197 km of tracks, at an estimated cost between MYR 6 billion and MYR 7 billion, would take three years.[54]

On 27 October 2015, the public display exercise, required for all development of new railways under Section 84 of Malaysia's Land Public Transport Act 2010, for the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrification Double Tracking Project began and will run until 27 January 2016. According to documents on display to the public, construction is expected to begin in 2016 and be completed in 2021.[55]

The Chinese company

CRCC has been awarded to build the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrification and Double-Tracking project. Construction on the project began in Jan 2018.[56]
It is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

The length of the line to be electrified and double-tracked is 197 km between Chainage 563.040 at

Tenang, Chamek and Senai. The upgraded line is supposed to cater for at least 22 services daily involving KTM ETS, KTM Intercity and shuttle train services as well as KTM Komuter
.

The documents displayed also stated that the electrification for the stretch will have the same specifications as that of the Seremban-Gemas stretch, at 25 kV AC 50 Hz single phase and supplied via an overhead catenary. Train operations for this stretch will be integrated with the Train Control Centres at KL Sentral and Gemas. The design speed for the tracks is 160 km/h.

Klang Valley Double Track Project

The project was implemented by Keretapi Tanah Melayu began in 2016 and phase 1 is expected to be completed by 2021.[57] The project entails the rehabilitation of 42 km of tracks between Rawang and Salak Selatan as well as Sentul and Simpang Batu. This will focus on enhancing 16 stations along these routes and upgrade the existing signalling and electrification system.[58] This will be reduced to just seven-and-a-half minutes once the KVDT is completed.[59]

The 42 km rehabilitation under Phase I, which are:

  • Phase 1A (Rawang – Simpang Batu)
  • Phase 1B (Kuala Lumpur – Simpang Bangsar)
  • Phase 2 (Simpang Batu – Kuala Lumpur)
  • Phase 3 (Sentul – Simpang Batu)
  • Phase 4 (Simpang Bangsar – Salak Selatan)

Phase II is from Simpang - Pelabuhan Klang and Salak Selatan - Seremban.

Penang Transport Master Plan

to the south of the island.

East Coast Rail Link