Located in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is a beautiful country that is both multicultural and multiethnic. These are perhaps two reasons why Malaysians are so friendly and hospitable. Malaysia lies on two surfaces that are quite far apart. Peninsular Malaysia is located south of Thailand, while East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is part of the island of Borneo. East Malaysia boasts a lush nature. It is much calmer than the western part of the country because it does not attract as many tourists. There is only one railway in the northern state of Sabah, so the train is not the best means of transport for getting around the rest of East Malaysia. The situation is different on the peninsula, where there are several railway lines, so traveling by train is a good way to move from one city to another. This guide focuses on train travel options in Malaysia, but only on the mainland.
Is it safe to travel by train in Malaysia?
ETS high-speed train operated by KTM at Butterworth railway station © Uskarp / Shutterstock.com
If you do a quick internet search as to whether it is safe to travel by train in Malaysia, you will find a positive answer. As in any country, when traveling by public transport, you always need to be careful and keep an eye on your belongings, because bags and purses can be stolen. Criminals are opportunistic thieves, so if you don’t give them a chance to get close you won’t have a problem. In general, train travel in Malaysia is considered safe from a personal point of view, but also because of the safety records. There have been several bus accidents in recent years, but train travel is always safer as the train runs on specific tracks separated from other vehicles. If you choose to travel by train in Malaysia, you will have a safe, comfortable and enjoyable journey. In addition, during the journey you will be able to enjoy fantastic views that you will not see from a bus or plane.
Types of trains in Malaysia and ticket classes
As in many other countries, there are also different types of trains in Malaysia, depending on the distance they travel and the area they cover. There are local services such as commuters, rapid light transport, rapid public transport and even some monorail systems, as well as airport-city lines that you are likely to use once you arrive in Malaysia. As a foreign tourist, you probably want to see as much of Malaysia as possible, so you may need to take long-distance trains. These trains cover most of the eleven states that make up peninsular Malaysia and also connect the Malaysian country with Thai rail services in the north and Singapore in the south.
There are two main rail lines: the KTM West Coast Line and the KTM East Coast Line. KTM stands for Keratapi Tanah Melayu, a company owned by the Malaysian government. So it can be said that it is a state railway.
KTM West Coast Railway
KTM ETS high-speed trains in Kuala Lumpur © SL Chen / Shutterstock.com
The West Coast Line, or West Coast Line, runs along the entire west coast of Malaysia. It is busier than the Eastern Line as it covers more densely populated areas and offers other passenger train services.
The entire network is 1,151 kilometers long. Until reform, it had only one metric-gauge rail. There are now two rails and electrified lines along 759 kilometers that sit alongside the original rails. Today’s rails can be served by much faster trains, so train travel in Malaysia takes less time than before.
The western network runs from Padang Besar station in the north, near the Thai border, to Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore. As you can see, with this line you can travel around Malaysia from end to end. Almost all trains running on this network are express trains, especially on sections that have been electrified. These trains are called ETS electric trains and can reach speeds of 160 km/h. As you can guess, these are modern trains with air conditioning. There are Platinum and Gold Trains. The Platinum service is faster and only makes one or two stops before reaching your destination, so it can go full speed. Gold trains stop along the way at the busiest stations.
Different types of tickets are available. There are first, second and third class tickets, called Premier, Superior and Economy respectively. Currently, there are fewer trains with beds than before, because due to the shorter travel time on many routes, it is no longer necessary to have beds in the cars. Even so, there are still a few trains that offer this option in case you want to travel overnight.
KTM East Coast Railway
There is only one train line on the East Coast Line, which means that if you choose to travel by train in Malaysia along the east coast, it will take longer to reach your destination. Don’t let the name of this chain fool you. Although it is called the East Coast Line, the fact is that the train does not follow the coast, but only approaches the South China Sea at the end of the line, at Tumpat Station. The vast majority of the lines run inland, crossing the dense jungles that gave it the nickname Jungle Railway.
Even though the trains are slower and don’t go through as many big cities or tourist attractions, the fact is that many travelers are drawn to this train route because it runs through the jungle, offering fantastic views of the Malaysian wilderness. .
The East Coast Line runs from Gemas Station in Negeri Sembilan State to Tumpat Station in Kelantan. Since the line has only one non-electrified railway, there are local trains which means they stop at almost all stations. This, coupled with the low speed they travel at, translates into quite long journeys wherever you go.
Where to buy train tickets in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Guard Station © Augustine Bin Jumat / Shutterstock.com
First of all, you should know that booking tickets for any long-distance train is mandatory, which means you will have to buy them in advance. Reservations can be made from 30 days before travel to the date of departure, so to buy tickets in advance you need to know exactly when you are going. A thirty-day reservation is not mandatory, but it is advisable to do so as soon as possible to avoid surprises. During national holidays, trains can fill up in no time. Also note that some routes, such as the one from Kuala Lumpur to Pedang, are more popular than others.
If there are still free seats, you can buy a ticket until the train leaves, but it’s not worth the risk. Tickets can be purchased at the departure station or online. KTM has its own website where bookings can be made: www.ktmb.com.my , but it’s not an easy network to use. As an alternative, we recommend using the website 12Go.asia make a reservation as it is very easy to navigate. In addition, here you can see the availability and prices of various tickets and receive instant confirmation. You can also read the reviews of other passengers who have used the same service. It is possible to select a seat in advance and receive an e-ticket via 12Go. Prices are very similar to KTM’s, so the 12Go is a good option for easy booking.
When making your booking, please note that you will need to travel by train on the dates you choose. Tickets are not flexible and you will not be able to make changes. If you want to stop in town along the way, you’ll need to purchase separate tickets for each leg of your journey. This also applies to train travel outside of Malaysia as there is no way to buy a ticket from KL to Bangkok. It is of course possible to make the entire booking through 12Go to save time and not have to look at timetables in different places.
With ETS electric trains running along most of the West Coast Line, train travel in Malaysia is now much faster than ever before. In addition, there are more and more renovations and improvements in services. Train tickets in Malaysia are cheap. They are usually cheaper than air tickets, and traveling by train is a great way to experience the country’s nature, as you can enjoy much more spectacular views than from a bus or plane.