Rail Transport In Malaysia
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Rail transport in Malaysia has evolved significantly since its inception in the late 19th century, reflecting the country's economic growth and modernization. The development of Malaysia's railways, from the first tracks laid for transporting tin to the extensive network that exists today, mirrors the broader social and economic transformations that have shaped the nation. This narrative explores the key milestones in the history of Malaysian rail transport, consists of primarily of
passenger A passenger is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The vehicles may be bicycles, ...
and
freight In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in ...
shipments along an integrated rail network.
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (; Jawi: ) or colloquially referred to simply as KTM, is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. ...
(KTM), a
Government-owned company A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a business entity created or owned by a national or local government, either through an executive order or legislation. SOEs aim to generate profit for the government, prevent private sector monopolies, provide goo ...
under the
ownership Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as '' title'', which may be separated and held by dif ...
of the
Minister of Finance (Incorporated) (Malaysia) Minister of Finance (Incorporated) (abbreviation: MoF (Inc.); ) is a body corporate under the name of the Minister of Finance of Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continenta ...
of the
Government of Malaysia The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is based in the Federal Territories of Malaysia, Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in ...
, operates Malaysia's national railway system. It is the primary operator of rail operations throughout the country including
inter-city rail Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...
and commuter/suburban rail in major metro. The urban transit systems operated by independent bodies constituted for the purpose of the respective operations such as
light rapid transit A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medi ...
(LRT), mass rapid transit (MRT) and only-functioning
monorail A monorail is a Rail transport, railway in which the track consists of a single rail or beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, the term refers to the style ...
. There is only-functioning
airport rail link An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport between an airport and a nearby city. Direct links operate straight from the airport terminal to the city, while other links require an intermediate use of a people mover or ...
systems linking Kuala Lumpur with the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), while the
Penang Hill Railway The Penang Hill Railway is a one-section funicular, funicular railway which climbs the Penang Hill from Ayer Itam, on the outskirts of the city of George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state ...
is the only operational
funicular A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep grade (slope), slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to ...
system in the country. Private owned rails exist in few places, mostly used to connect freight to the integrated rail network. The railway network covers most of the 11 states in
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
and in
East Malaysia East Malaysia (), or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. East Malaysia comprises the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory ...
, only the state of
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
has railways network. the railway network in Sabah operate by
Sabah State Railway Sabah State Railway () is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134-kilometre line from Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinaba ...
. The Malaysia rail network is also connected to the Thai railway network in the north. If the
Burma Railway The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 ...
is rebuilt, services to Myanmar, India, and China could be initiated.


History


The birth of railways (1885-1891)

Rail transport in Malaysia began with the first railway line operated in 1885, connecting Taiping to Port Weld (now known as Kuala Sepetang). This 13.5-kilometer line was developed to transport tin from the mines in Taiping, one of the world's most important tin mining areas at the time, to the port for export. The success of this initial line laid the groundwork for the expansion of rail transport in Malaya. In 1886, the line was extended to connect the tin-rich area of Larut, further boosting the region's economy by providing an efficient means of transporting tin to the port. The early railways were primarily driven by the needs of the tin mining industry, which was the backbone of Malaya's economy in the late 19th century.


Expansion and consolidation (1891-1910)

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw significant expansion of the railway network in Malaya. In 1891, a major line was constructed between Klang and
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
, connecting the inland commercial center to the coastal port. This line was pivotal in facilitating the export of goods, particularly tin and rubber, which were central to Malaya's economy at the time. As the
rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Railway track or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' (1967 fil ...
network grew, the need for centralized management became apparent. In 1910, the Federated Malay States Railways (FMSR) was established, consolidating various regional rail systems under one administration. This unification allowed for more coordinated planning and development, setting the stage for the creation of major rail lines that would form the backbone of the national network.


Development of major rail lines (1910-1931)

Under the FMSR, two major rail lines were developed: the West Coast Line and the East Coast Line. 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
Port Weld Kuala Sepetang (Jawi script, Jawi: كوالا سيڤيتڠ; ) is a coastal town located in Larut, Matang and Selama District in northwestern Perak, Malaysia. It is also popularly known by English-speaking locals by its British Malaya, colonial n ...
and Taiping, the heart of the tin-rich Larut Valley in
Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...
state. The second line was opened a year later to link
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
, again the center of tin-mining activities in the Klang Valley, and Klang and subsequently to Port Swettenham (
Port Klang Port Klang () is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham (), it was renamed to Port Klang in July 1972 and has since become the largest port in the country. It is located about sou ...
) today. The West Coast Line, completed in 1923, ran from Padang Besar near the Thai border in the north to
Woodlands Train Checkpoint Woodlands Train Checkpoint (abbreviated as WTCP, also known as Woodlands CIQ) is a railway station and border checkpoint in Woodlands, Singapore, Woodlands, Singapore. Located close to the Malaysia–Singapore border, the station is owned by Sing ...
, Singapore in the south. This line was crucial in linking the major cities along the west coast, including Penang,
Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
,
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
, and
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
. It became the primary route for the transportation of goods and passengers, playing a key role in the economic integration of the region. The East Coast Line, completed in 1931, connected
Gemas Gemas (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Gomeh'') is a small town and a mukim (township) in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is 101 km southeast of Seremban, the state capital city, and ...
in
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
to Tumpat in
Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...
. This line opened up the east coast, which was less developed compared to the west, by providing a reliable means of transportation for agricultural products, particularly rubber and palm oil, to markets on the west coast and beyond.


Challenges during the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960)

The Malayan Emergency posed significant challenges to the rail network. The communist insurgency targeted the railways as they were seen as symbols of colonial power and were crucial for British military logistics. Sabotage and attacks on trains and infrastructure caused disruptions, but the rail network remained operational and played a vital role in the British efforts to maintain control during the conflict.


Post-Independence modernization (1963-1989)

With Malaysia's independence in 1957 and the subsequent formation of Malaysia in 1963, the nation's railways entered a new phase of development. The rail networks in
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
,
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
, and
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
were brought under the administration of
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (; Jawi: ) or colloquially referred to simply as KTM, is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. ...
(KTM), allowing for more unified management and planning. In the early 1960s, rail transport was still the primary mode of long-distance travel within Peninsular Malaysia. However, with the rapid expansion of road networks and the rise of automobile ownership, the railways began to face increasing competition. To remain relevant, KTM initiated several modernization projects aimed at improving service efficiency and passenger comfort. A significant milestone during this period was the introduction of
inter-city rail Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...
services with brand
KTM Intercity KTM Intercity () are diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Services operate along the East Coast Line between Tumpat and Gemas and on towards JB Sentral on the Wes ...
in 1989. This was a significant development in Malaysia's rail transport history, as it expanded the range of long-distance travel options available across Peninsular Malaysia. KTM's Intercity services have long been a vital part of Malaysia's rail network, providing long-distance travel options across Peninsular Malaysia. These services connected major cities and towns, offering a reliable and affordable means of transportation for millions of Malaysians. One of the most iconic trains in KTM's Intercity fleet was the Senandung Malam Express. This overnight service connected Kuala Lumpur with cities such as Butterworth, Padang Besar, and Hat Yai in southern Thailand. The Senandung Malam Express was particularly popular for its overnight travel option, allowing passengers to travel long distances while sleeping, and arrive at their destination refreshed the next morning. Other notable Intercity services included the Ekspres Rakyat, which ran between
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
and Butterworth, and the Ekspres Wau, connecting Kuala Lumpur with Tumpat in Kelantan. These services were known for their scenic routes, passing through lush landscapes and offering a unique travel experience. In Sabah, the Sabah State Railway (SSR) operated a separate network, primarily serving the western coastal regions from Kota Kinabalu to Tenom. Built during the British North Borneo era, this narrow-gauge railway played a crucial role in connecting remote areas with the state capital and was vital for the transportation of goods and passengers in the region. One of the key developments during this period was the electrification of the rail network in the
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
, which began in 1989. The electrification marked the start of a transition from diesel-powered to electric trains, significantly improving travel times, efficiency, and capacity in the rapidly urbanizing region. This modernization laid the groundwork for the introduction of commuter rail services, which would become increasingly important in the following decades.


Introduction of modern commuter services and urban transit (1995-2016)

The mid-1990s marked the beginning of a new era in Malaysian rail transport, with the introduction of modern commuter services and urban transit systems. In 1995, KTM launched its commuter rail service, the first electric commuter train service in Malaysia branding as
KTM Komuter KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to o ...
. Initially serving the
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
for central sector which consist of
Batu Caves–Pulau Sebang Line The KTM Batu Caves–Pulau Sebang Line (), formerly known as the Seremban Line () is one of the three KTM Komuter Central Sector lines provided by Keretapi Tanah Melayu. Its electric trains run between and . Prior to 15 December 2015, the nort ...
and
Tanjung Malim–Port Klang Line The KTM Tanjung Malim–Port Klang Line (), formerly known as the Port Klang Line () is one of the three KTM Komuter Central Sector lines provided by Keretapi Tanah Melayu. The electric trains run between and . Prior to 15 December 2015, ...
,
KTM Komuter KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to o ...
quickly became an essential part of the region's public transportation network, offering a reliable alternative to the congested roads. The service was later expanded to include northern sector, connecting cities such as Butterworth, Padang Besar, and
Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
to the larger network, enhancing connectivity and convenience for residents and travelers alike. Urban rail transit also saw significant advancements with the introduction of the
Light Rail Transit Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
(LRT) system in the
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
. The
Ampang Line , , The LRT Ampang Line and the LRT Sri Petaling Line are medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) lines in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The combined network comprises of tracks with 36 stations and was the first railway in Malaysia to us ...
(formerly STAR LRT) opened in 1996, followed by the
Kelana Jaya Line The LRT Kelana Jaya Line is a medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) line and the first fully automated and driverless rail system in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. It forms part of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System in and around Ku ...
(formerly PUTRA LRT) in 1998. These lines provided a much-needed solution to the increasing traffic congestion in the Klang Valley, offering fast and efficient connections between key urban centers. The modernization of the Sabah State Railway (SSR) began in the early 2000s, addressing the need to upgrade the aging narrow-gauge tracks and rolling stock. These efforts were crucial for improving safety, reliability, and passenger comfort, particularly on the line connecting
Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu (; formerly known as Jesselton), colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the ...
to Tenom. The modernization project included the refurbishment of stations, the introduction of new trains, and significant improvements to the infrastructure. The SSR modernization is ongoing, with plans to further enhance the network by extending the line to other parts of Sabah, thereby improving connectivity and supporting the state's economic development. This project is vital for ensuring that the SSR continues to serve as a key transportation link in Sabah, particularly in the more remote regions of the state. In 2002, the
Express Rail Link The Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd is a company that owns and operates the airport rail link of the same name that connects the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with the Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral) transportation hub, 57 kilometres a ...
(ERL) was introduced, providing high-speed connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The ERL's KLIA Express service reduced travel time between the city and the airport to just 28 minutes, significantly improving access to the country's main gateway for international travelers. The early 2000s also saw the double-tracking and electrification of existing rail lines, which paved the way for the introduction of the
Electric Train Service The KTM ETS, commercially known as ETS (Electric Train Service), is an inter-city rail, inter-city higher-speed rail service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). The KTM ETS is the second electric train service to be operated by t ...
(ETS) in 2010. The ETS offered high-speed rail services between major cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Penang, providing a comfortable and efficient alternative to road and air travel. Following the 2008 state election that saw
Pakatan Rakyat Pakatan Rakyat (PR; ) was an informal Malaysian political coalition and successor to Barisan Alternatif (BA). The political coalition was formed by the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP), and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Par ...
(predecessor of the present-day
Pakatan Harapan Pakatan Harapan (PH; stylised as HARAPAN; ) is a Malaysian Parliamentary group, political coalition consisting of Centre-left politics, centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has led ...
coalition) gaining control of Penang's legislature, the Penang state government conceived the multimodal Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), which includes the introduction of urban rail systems across the state. In 2015, as part of the PTMP, the state government announced a proposed RM10 billion
light rail transit Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
(LRT) line to link downtown George Town with the
Penang International Airport Penang International Airport (PIA) is an international airport in George Town, Penang, George Town, the capital city of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. The airport is located at the southeastern tip of ...
. However, planning was carried out independently from the
federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
, creating political tensions that ultimately delayed the PTMP's implementation, as transport infrastructure falls under the federal Ministry of Transport's jurisdiction.


Ongoing projects (2016-present)

Malaysia's rail transport continues to expand and modernize, with several significant projects currently underway or in planning stages. One of the most ambitious projects is the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), which began construction in 2017. The ECRL aims to connect the East Coast region of
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
with the more developed West Coast, running from Kota Bharu in Kelantan to Port Klang in
Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
. This project is expected to reduce travel times, boost economic development in the east coast states, and improve the overall efficiency of Malaysia's rail network. The
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
continues to see expansions with the ongoing construction of the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3), set to connect Bandar Utama to Klang by 2025. This line will serve densely populated areas, providing an alternative to road transport and enhancing the region's public transportation network. Another major project in the planning stages is the
MRT Circle Line The MRT Circle Line, also known as MRT 3, is a proposed thirteenth rail transit line, the third Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit, Mass Rapid Transit line and the fifth List of automated urban metro subway systems, fully automated and driverles ...
(MRT3), which will form a loop around
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
, connecting existing MRT, LRT, and KTM lines. Once completed, the MRT3 will significantly enhance connectivity within the Klang Valley, offering more convenient and efficient travel options for residents and visitors. The proposed
light rail transit Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
(LRT) line between downtown George Town, the
Penang International Airport Penang International Airport (PIA) is an international airport in George Town, Penang, George Town, the capital city of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. The airport is located at the southeastern tip of ...
and
Silicon Island Silicon Island is a Artificial island, man-made islet currently under Land reclamation, reclamation off the southern coast of Penang Island in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is located off the shorel ...
was granted federal approval in 2019. However, due to protracted political infighting, the project now renamed Mutiara LRT only secured federal funding in 2023. The LRT line was redesigned to include an extension between George Town and Penang Sentral in
Seberang Perai Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. The city spans an are ...
. Construction of the Mutiara LRT commenced in 2025 and is expected to be completed by 2031. The
Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System , , , , , The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is an international cross-border rapid transit system that will connect Malaysia's second largest city, Johor Bahru and Woodlands, Singapore, Woodlands, Si ...
(RTS) project is another key development, set to provide a crucial link between
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
and
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. Expected to be completed by 2026, the RTS will ease congestion on the Causeway and provide a fast, efficient cross-border commuting option for thousands of daily travelers. In Johor's
Iskandar Malaysia Iskandar Malaysia (formerly known as Iskandar Development Region and South Johor Economic Region), is the main southern development corridor in Johor, Malaysia. It was established on 8 November 2006. Iskandar Malaysia is currently the largest ...
region,
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
, and
Putrajaya Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya (), is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The Seat of government, seat of the Government of Malaysia, federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajay ...
, the
Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit Autonomous rail rapid transit (ART) is a lidar (light detection and ranging) guided bi-articulated bus system for urban passenger transport. Developed and manufactured by CRRC through CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, it was unveiled in Zhuzh ...
(ART) system is being studied and tested. The ART, which is a hybrid between a bus and a train, offers a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional rail transit, making it an attractive option for rapidly growing urban areas. Meanwhile, ongoing double-tracking and electrification projects in the southern part of
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
are expected to enhance the efficiency and capacity of the national rail network, particularly for
intercity rail Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...
travel and
freight rail Rail freight transport is the use of railways and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...
services.


Networks


Mainlines



Peninsular Malaysia

There are two primary railway networks in
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
: The
KTM West Coast Line The KTM West Coast railway line is a main railway line in Malaysia. It runs from close to the Malaysia–Thailand border in Perlis (where it connects with the State Railway of Thailand) to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore. Running nea ...
, which runs from Padang Besar in
Perlis Perlis (Kedah Malay language, Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): ''Peghelih'') is a Negeri, state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. The state borders the Thai ...
where it connects with
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
’s railway network, to the
Woodlands Train Checkpoint Woodlands Train Checkpoint (abbreviated as WTCP, also known as Woodlands CIQ) is a railway station and border checkpoint in Woodlands, Singapore, Woodlands, Singapore. Located close to the Malaysia–Singapore border, the station is owned by Sing ...
in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, as well as the
KTM East Coast Line The East Coast railway line (ECRL) is a single-track metre gauge railway line in Malaysia that runs between the Gemas railway station in Negeri Sembilan and the Tumpat railway station in Kelantan. Gemas is the rail junction between the West Co ...
between
Gemas Gemas (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Gomeh'') is a small town and a mukim (township) in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is 101 km southeast of Seremban, the state capital city, and ...
in
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
and Tumpat in
Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...
. Within the West Coast Line lies several branch lines, which include railways from Kuala Lumpur to
Port Klang Port Klang () is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham (), it was renamed to Port Klang in July 1972 and has since become the largest port in the country. It is located about sou ...
,
Subang Jaya Subang Jaya is a city in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It comprises the southern third district of Petaling. It consists of the neighbourhoods from SS12 to SS19, UEP Subang Jaya (USJ), Putra Heights, Batu Tiga as well as PJS7, PJ ...
to
Subang Airport Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport also known as Subang SkyPark, — formerly Subang International Airport/Kuala Lumpur International Airport, often called Subang Airport — is an airport located in Subang, Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. ...
, Sentul to
Batu Caves Batu Caves is a 325-m tall mogote with a series of limestone caves in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located about north of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The cave complex contains many Hindu temples, the most popular of which is a shri ...
,
Bukit Mertajam Bukit Mertajam is a suburb of Seberang Perai in the Malaysian state of Penang. It also serves as the seat of the Central Seberang Perai District. , Bukit Mertajam had a population of 12,079. Whilst founded in the 19th century as an agricultural ...
to Butterworth,
Kempas Kempas is a suburb in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States an ...
to Tanjung Pelepas and Kempas to
Pasir Gudang Pasir Gudang is a city located in eastern Johor Bahru District, Johor, which is the second largest district in Malaysia by population. The main industries are transportation and logistics, shipbuilding, petrochemicals and other heavy industries ...
. The entire 1,776 km network uses tracks, and uses a ballasted setup with 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. 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 Double tracking or doubling is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or bigger sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. ...
and electrified. The tracks include a portion of the West Coast Line (from
Gemas Gemas (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Gomeh'') is a small town and a mukim (township) in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is 101 km southeast of Seremban, the state capital city, and ...
to Padang Besar) as well as the entire
Port Klang Port Klang () is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham (), it was renamed to Port Klang in July 1972 and has since become the largest port in the country. It is located about sou ...
and
Batu Caves Batu Caves is a 325-m tall mogote with a series of limestone caves in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located about north of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The cave complex contains many Hindu temples, the most popular of which is a shri ...
branch lines. The rail lines from
Tanjung Malim Tanjong Malim, or Tanjung Malim, is a town in Muallim District, Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur and 120 km south of Ipoh via the North–South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sunga ...
to Pulau Sebang/Tampin, Padang Besar to
Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
, as well as the Port Klang, Batu Caves and Butterworth branch lines are used for
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
services. Efforts in retrofitting the old tracks were done under the Electrified Double Track Project (EDTP) orchestrated by the Minister of Transport. The first EDTP was done from Rawang to
Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
from 2001 to 2009, stretching 179 km while the second EDTP was done from
Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
to Padang Besar at a length of 329 km from January 2008 to November 2014. 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 Petroliam Nasional Berhad, commonly known as PETRONAS (stylised in all caps), is a Malaysian Multinational corporation, multinational petroleum, oil and natural gas, gas company headquartered in Kuala Lumpur. Established in 1974, it is a lega ...
, 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.


Borneo

The only railway network present on the island of
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
is the railway line in
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
, linking Tanjung Aru in
Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu (; formerly known as Jesselton), colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the ...
, and
Tenom Tenom (, ) is the capital of the Tenom District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located about 176 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu and 128 kilometres north of Long Pasia, which is one of the famous attractions in Sabah. Ten ...
in the
Interior Division The Interior Division () is an administrative division of the state of Sabah, Malaysia. It occupies the southwest portion of Sabah, bordered by the neighbouring state of Sarawak on its west. With an area of 18,298 square kilometres, it covers 24 ...
. It is operated by the
Sabah State Railway Sabah State Railway () is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134-kilometre line from Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinaba ...
and has 15 stations. 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 Sabah State Railway () is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134-kilometre line from Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinaba ...
had also installed these sleepers for their railway network.


Station


Bridges


Tunnels


Projects and Expansion Plans


Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrification and Double-Tracking

The
MYR Million years ago, abbreviated as Mya, Myr (megayear) or Ma (megaannum), is a unit of time equal to (i.e. years), or approximately 31.6 teraseconds. Usage Myr is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used w ...
8 billion contract was expected to be tendered out by end 2008 pending a mid-term review of the
Ninth Malaysia Plan The Ninth Malaysian Plan (), abbreviated as '9MP', is a comprehensive blueprint prepared by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department and the Finance Ministry of Malaysia with approval by the Cabinet of Malaysia. The pla ...
. 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. 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 Gemas (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Gomeh'') is a small town and a mukim (township) in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is 101 km southeast of Seremban, the state capital city, and ...
to
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
at a cost of
MYR Million years ago, abbreviated as Mya, Myr (megayear) or Ma (megaannum), is a unit of time equal to (i.e. years), or approximately 31.6 teraseconds. Usage Myr is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used w ...
5 billion. According to them, the project would be on a
private finance initiative The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 1992 ...
basis and the plan submitted to the Finance Ministry later in June 2009 was conditional upon signing over mineral rights in Johor State. On 29 January 2011, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said that the Gemas-Johor Bahru double-tracking and electrification project was expected to start that year. He added that the Government hoped to appoint the contractor for the project that year and Malaysia was still in the midst of talking with 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 Million years ago, abbreviated as Mya, Myr (megayear) or Ma (megaannum), is a unit of time equal to (i.e. years), or approximately 31.6 teraseconds. Usage Myr is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used w ...
6 billion and
MYR Million years ago, abbreviated as Mya, Myr (megayear) or Ma (megaannum), is a unit of time equal to (i.e. years), or approximately 31.6 teraseconds. Usage Myr is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used w ...
7 billion, would take three years. 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. 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. 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
Gemas Gemas (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Gomeh'') is a small town and a mukim (township) in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is 101 km southeast of Seremban, the state capital city, and ...
and Chainage 754.180 at
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
. The project includes the construction of 11 stations at , , , , , , , , , and , and 3 future stations at , and . The upgraded line is supposed to cater for at least 22 services daily involving
KTM ETS The KTM ETS, commercially known as ETS (Electric Train Service), is an inter-city rail, inter-city higher-speed rail service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). The KTM ETS is the second electric train service to be operated by t ...
,
KTM Intercity KTM Intercity () are diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Services operate along the East Coast Line between Tumpat and Gemas and on towards JB Sentral on the Wes ...
and shuttle train services as well as
KTM Komuter KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to o ...
. 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 Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (; Jawi: ) or colloquially referred to simply as KTM, is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. ...
began in 2016 and phase 1 is expected to be completed by 2021. The project entails the rehabilitation of 42 km of tracks between and as well as and Simpang Batu. This will focus on enhancing 16 stations along these routes and upgrade the existing signalling and electrification system. This will be reduced to just seven-and-a-half minutes once the KVDT is completed. 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

Introduced by the Penang state government in 2015, the Penang Transport Master Plan originally envisaged seven public transport corridors. Of the seven corridors, the Mutiara LRT line was given the highest priority to ease vehicular traffic volume along the downtown George Town
Bayan Lepas Bayan Lepas is a suburb of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located near the southeastern tip of Penang Island, south of the city centre, it is home to the Penang International Airport, the third busiest airport in Malaysia, as we ...
corridor, which reached 64,144 vehicles in 2018. The line is the first domestic
light rail system Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
outside the
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
, comprising 21 stations between Penang Sentral in
Seberang Perai Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located on the Malay Peninsula and separated from Penang Island by the Penang Strait, it shares borders with Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. The city spans an are ...
, downtown George Town, Bayan Lepas and
Silicon Island Silicon Island is a Artificial island, man-made islet currently under Land reclamation, reclamation off the southern coast of Penang Island in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is located off the shorel ...
. The Mutiara line received conditional approval from
federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
environmental regulators in 2019. Due to political infighting, construction could not begin until 2025 when the Anwar Ibrahim administration took over the LRT project. The line is expected to be operational by 2031.


East Coast Rail Link

The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is a
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
, single-track on double placement railway link infrastructure project connecting
Port Klang Port Klang () is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham (), it was renamed to Port Klang in July 1972 and has since become the largest port in the country. It is located about sou ...
on the
Straits of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pa ...
to
Kota Bharu Kota Bharu ( Kelantanese: ''Koto Baghu''), colloquially referred to as KB, is a town in Malaysia that serves as the state capital and royal seat of Kelantan. It is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia and lies near the mout ...
in northeast
Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
via
Putrajaya Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya (), is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The Seat of government, seat of the Government of Malaysia, federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajay ...
, connecting the East Coast Economic Region states of
Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...
,
Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...
and
Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...
to one another, and to the Central Region of the Peninsular's west coast. The project was proposed to provide high speed inter-city rail service to the east coast states and to complement the
KTM East Coast Line The East Coast railway line (ECRL) is a single-track metre gauge railway line in Malaysia that runs between the Gemas railway station in Negeri Sembilan and the Tumpat railway station in Kelantan. Gemas is the rail junction between the West Co ...
. Currently, Terengganu is the only state in Peninsular Malaysia without a passenger railway system, as the KTM East Coast Line only services Pahang and Kelantan.


Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS Link) is an under-construction
cross-border Borders are generally defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ...
rapid transit system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a t ...
that will connect
Woodlands, Singapore Woodlands is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the North Region, Singapore, North Region of Singapore. As of 2019, the town has a population of 254,733. Located approximately ...
and
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
, crossing the
Straits of Johor The Johor Strait (also known as the Tebrau Strait, Straits of Johor, Selat Johor, Selat Tebrau, and Tebrau Reach, also spelled Johore Strait) is an international strait in Southeast Asia, between Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. Geography ...
. The rapid transit system will have two stations, with the Singaporean terminus located at Woodlands North station (interchanging with the
Singapore MRT The Mass Rapid Transit system, locally known by the initialism MRT, is a rapid transit system in Singapore and the island country's principal mode of railway transportation. After two decades of planning the system commenced operations in Nove ...
system) and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station (interchange with the proposed Iskandar Malaysia BRT system). Both stations will have co-located Singaporean and Malaysian customs, immigration and quarantine facilities. When built, the RTS Link will be the second rail link between the two countries after the
KTM Intercity KTM Intercity () are diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Services operate along the East Coast Line between Tumpat and Gemas and on towards JB Sentral on the Wes ...
Shuttle Tebrau, and the first high-capacity international
metro system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a tu ...
to be built. The RTS Link is expected to replace the railway line and shuttle train services between JB Sentral and
Woodlands Train Checkpoint Woodlands Train Checkpoint (abbreviated as WTCP, also known as Woodlands CIQ) is a railway station and border checkpoint in Woodlands, Singapore, Woodlands, Singapore. Located close to the Malaysia–Singapore border, the station is owned by Sing ...
, completing the withdrawal of KTM operations from Singapore.


Kuala Lumpur Light Rapid Transit (LRT) 3rd Line

A third LRT system is under construction which, once completed, will link the city centre with the cities of
Shah Alam Shah Alam (, from Persian language, Persian, meaning "king of the world") is a city and the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia which is situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighbouring Klang District. Shah Alam rep ...
and Klang. The line, which spans 37 km, has 25 permanent stations under construction, one of them being kept as provisional stations for the future. The LRT line is planned to be fully operational by 2026.


Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Circle Line

The
Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project is a planned three-line mass rapid transit (MRT) system in the Klang Valley (Greater Kuala Lumpur), an urban conurbation in Malaysia which includes the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The MRT lines, w ...
project is a proposed three-line 150 km MRT system by
Gamuda Berhad Gamuda Berhad () is an engineering, property and infrastructure company based in Malaysia. It is one of the largest Malaysian infrastructure companies and has undertaken various projects, both locally and overseas, like the construction of Kl ...
-
MMC Corporation Berhad MMC Corporation Berhad (abbreviated as MMC; ) is a Malaysian utility and infrastructure conglomerate, with diversified businesses under three divisions: Energy & Utilities, Ports & Logistics, and Engineering. Syed Mokhtar Albukhary is the company' ...
for the
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
which envisages a "Wheel and Spoke" concept comprising two northeast–southwest radial lines and one circle line looping around Kuala Lumpur. The proposal was announced in early-June 2010 and construction works were targeted to commence in early 2011, leading to project completion in 2016 for the first line. The MRT system will be the backbone of a new transport system in Klang Valley, which will be home to an estimated 10 million people by 2020. The MRT system will be integrated with the existing LRT, monorail, KTM Komuter and intra- and inter-city bus services to form an effective public transportation system. In December 2010, the Government announced that the
Kajang Line The MRT Kajang Line, previously known as the MRT Sungai Buloh–Kajang Line, is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line servicing the Klang Valley, Malaysia. It is the second fully automated and driverless rail system in the Klang Valley region afte ...
will be the first to take off. The Kajang Line will run from Sungai Buloh to Kajang through the Kuala Lumpur city centre. This route which runs from north-west to south-east of Kuala Lumpur is densely populated and is currently inadequately served by the then existing rail-based public transport. Upon completion, the line is estimated to provide service to 1.2 million people with an estimated daily ridership of 442,000. Construction of the line was officially launched on 8 July 2011 by then Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Phase 1 of the line, from Sungai Buloh to Semantan station was operational by December 2016 while the remainder of the line opened in July 2017. The MRT system will be owned by the Government of Malaysia through the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp), a special purpose vehicle which is 100% owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated.
Rapid Rail Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd is the operator of the rapid transit (metro) system serving Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley area in Malaysia. A subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is the sole operator of five rapid transit lines which collectively form t ...
, which is the current operator of the Klang Valley's LRT and monorail lines operated the MRT lines under its integrated fare system. A second MRT line, the
Putrajaya Line The MRT Putrajaya Line is the second Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the third fully automated and driverless rail system in the country. It was previously known as the MRT Sungai Buloh–Serdang–Putrajaya Line ...
, is completed and fully operational in March 2023. The third MRT line, the Circle Line, is another proposed line and would be the "Wheel" component of the MRT project. The line was recently approved by the Cabinet and is currently awaiting the tendering process. Constructions are expected to commence by December 2028.


Sarawak rail transportation projects

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...
and
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
are the only two states in Malaysia that do not have railway infrastructure. In Sarawak, a
railway line Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...
existed before the Second World War, but the last remnants of the line were dismantled in 1959. As part of
Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE; Malay language, Malay: ) is an economic region and Economic corridor, development corridor covering central Sarawak, a Malaysian State on the island of Borneo. SCORE was launched in 2008. It is one ...
project, the government is planning a 320 km railway track between Similajau in
Bintulu Bintulu is a coastal town on the island of Borneo in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. Bintulu is located northeast of Kuching, northeast of Sibu, and southwest of Miri, Malaysia, Miri. With a population of 114,058 as of 2010, Bintulu ...
Division and Tanjung Manis in
Mukah Mukah ( muːkəh), historically known as Muka, is a coastal town which has served as the capital and the administrative center of the Mukah Division since 1 March 2002. The district also covers an area of with a population about 49,900 in t ...
Division. The cost and plans for the project timeline is yet to be revealed. Another railway line, the Sarawak Railway Line is a proposed project by the
Malaysian government The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia (; Jawi: ), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a federation comp ...
to establishing a railway network in the state of
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
. In 2008, it was reported the project will be ready in 2015 but still no signs of development by the government until present. The Kuching LRT system was a proposed
light rapid transit A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medi ...
(LRT) system network in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
, the capital city of Sarawak. as one of the methods to ease
traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...
in the city. The proposed LRT lines would have connected Kuching to nearby towns such as Samarahan and Serian. The construction of the RM10.8 billion project was expected to commence by 2019 and was scheduled to be operational by 2024, however, it was scrapped in favor of a more cost-affordable
Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit Autonomous rail rapid transit (ART) is a lidar (light detection and ranging) guided bi-articulated bus system for urban passenger transport. Developed and manufactured by CRRC through CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, it was unveiled in Zhuzh ...
(ART) system which is currently under construction and is expected to begin operations by 2028 with 3 initial lines.


Sabah rail transportation projects

On 17 September 2015, it was announced that the
Sabah State Railway Sabah State Railway () is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134-kilometre line from Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinaba ...
will be extended to cover the northern and east coast areas, mainly to major towns of
Kudat Kudat () is the capital of the Kudat District in the Kudat Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 29,025 in 2010. It is located on the Kudat Peninsula, about north of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital, and is nea ...
,
Sandakan Sandakan () formerly known at various times as Elopura, is the capital of the Sandakan District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the second largest city in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu. It is located on the Sandakan Peninsula and east coast of the sta ...
and
Tawau Tawau (), formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest city (or town)While Tawau have a population of more than 100,000 of which is considered city elsewhere in the world it is offic ...
. On 21 March 2017, around RM1 million has been allocated for the project study. Once the project is complete, there is also a proposal to connecting the rail networks of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia with the provinces of
Kalimantan Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...
in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
that will be called as "Trans-Borneo Railway", as Indonesia were currently developing the railway network on their side. A proposed
monorail A monorail is a Rail transport, railway in which the track consists of a single rail or beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, the term refers to the style ...
line project is to be constructed in the
Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu (; formerly known as Jesselton), colloquially referred to as KK, is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is also the capital of the Kota Kinabalu District as well as the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the ...
area by the Sabah state government. The proposals generated mixed reactions between the mayor and politicians. As reported in the government website, the project was in the ground breaking process under the Kota Kinabalu development plan. A new rapid transit line has also been proposed to ease traffic congestions in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. On 27 August 2019, the
Kota Kinabalu City Hall The Kota Kinabalu City Hall (, abbreviated DBKK) is the city council which administers the city and district of Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. The council consists of the mayor plus twenty-four councillors appointed to serve a o ...
(DBKK) has submitted a proposal to build an LRT or MRT to the federal government. The city authorities are currently waiting for budget on the project. On 2021, a skytrain system of Kota Kinabalu was proposed. The skytrain is planned to connect the
Kota Kinabalu International Airport Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) is an international airport in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia, approximately southwest of the city centre. In 2024, the airport handled over 7.95 million passengers, making i ...
and
Universiti Malaysia Sabah Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS; English: University of Malaysia Sabah) is a public university in Malaysia. It was officially established on 24 November 1994 as the ninth public university in the country. The university is located on a 999-acre ...
. Four companies which will be involved in the skytrain project signed a memorandum of understanding on 29 November. The skytrain will be built by phases, with phase 1 will be connecting the airport to the city centre, while phase 2 will extended till Alamesra, near the university.


Express and passenger trains


Commuter rail

Malaysia's
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
system plays a vital role in connecting urban centers with suburban and outlying regions, offering a reliable and efficient mode of transportation for millions of passengers. Three prominent services within the commuter rail network are service brand
KTM Komuter KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to o ...
, operated by
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (; Jawi: ) or colloquially referred to simply as KTM, is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. ...
(KTM),
KLIA Ekspres The KLIA Ekspres is an express airport rail link servicing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station, Terminal 1 and KLIA T2 ERL ...
and
KLIA Transit The ERL KLIA Transit is a commuter rail service which serves as an airport rail link to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station ...
operated by
Express Rail Link The Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd is a company that owns and operates the airport rail link of the same name that connects the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with the Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral) transportation hub, 57 kilometres a ...
(ERL).
KTM Komuter KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to o ...
service primarily serving the Klang Valley and northern region with routes span over , with more than xx stations . The central sector consists of the
Batu Caves–Pulau Sebang Line The KTM Batu Caves–Pulau Sebang Line (), formerly known as the Seremban Line () is one of the three KTM Komuter Central Sector lines provided by Keretapi Tanah Melayu. Its electric trains run between and . Prior to 15 December 2015, the nort ...
,
Tanjung Malim–Port Klang Line The KTM Tanjung Malim–Port Klang Line (), formerly known as the Port Klang Line () is one of the three KTM Komuter Central Sector lines provided by Keretapi Tanah Melayu. The electric trains run between and . Prior to 15 December 2015, ...
. The northern sector consists of two routes, namely the Butterworth/Bukit Mertajam-Ipoh route as well as the Butterworth-Padang Besar route. The
Express Rail Link The Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd is a company that owns and operates the airport rail link of the same name that connects the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with the Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral) transportation hub, 57 kilometres a ...
(ERL) services are dedicated to providing fast and direct connections between
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), including KLIA2, the low-cost carrier terminal that stretches . The rail link currently has two services: The
KLIA Ekspres The KLIA Ekspres is an express airport rail link servicing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station, Terminal 1 and KLIA T2 ERL ...
with 3 stations and
KLIA Transit The ERL KLIA Transit is a commuter rail service which serves as an airport rail link to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station ...
with 6 stations. The
KLIA Ekspres The KLIA Ekspres is an express airport rail link servicing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station, Terminal 1 and KLIA T2 ERL ...
is a non-stop
airport rail link An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport between an airport and a nearby city. Direct links operate straight from the airport terminal to the city, while other links require an intermediate use of a people mover or ...
service that connects KL Sentral to KLIA and KLIA2 with 3 stations. It offers the fastest way to travel between the city center and the airport, with a journey time of just 28 minutes. The service operates every 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours and is known for its punctuality and efficiency. While,
KLIA Transit The ERL KLIA Transit is a commuter rail service which serves as an airport rail link to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station ...
with 6 stations also shares the same tracks as KLIA Ekspres but includes additional stops at intermediate stations: Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya, and Salak Tinggi with journey time from KL Sentral to KLIA2 is approximately 39 minutes.


Lines and systems


Fleet


Ridership


Intercity rail

Malaysia's
inter-city rail Inter-city rail services are Express train, express trains that run services that connect cities over longer distances than Commuter rail, commuter or Regional rail, regional trains. They include rail services that are neither short-distance co ...
network has been a cornerstone of the nation's transportation infrastructure, connecting major cities and towns across Peninsular Malaysia. The primary operator of intercity rail services in Malaysia is
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (; Jawi: ) or colloquially referred to simply as KTM, is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. ...
(KTMB), which runs the service
KTM Intercity KTM Intercity () are diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Services operate along the East Coast Line between Tumpat and Gemas and on towards JB Sentral on the Wes ...
and
KTM ETS The KTM ETS, commercially known as ETS (Electric Train Service), is an inter-city rail, inter-city higher-speed rail service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). The KTM ETS is the second electric train service to be operated by t ...
services. These services provide an essential link for passengers, fostering economic growth and enhancing mobility across the country. KTM Intercity (Malay: ''KTM Antarabandar'') is the service brand name for long-haul passenger trains that connect cities and major towns served by the KTMB rail network. The service is provided using conventional locomotive-hauled coaches and DMUs. Services span the length of the network, except branch-lines. It has also been involved in various types of collaborations, joint-promotions, and cross-promotions with all state-level tourism bodies, travel agencies and travel-related industry players in developing rail packages for group travellers. KTM ETS, is another service brand which stands for Electric Train Service, is a rapid intercity train service by KTMB utilizing electric train-sets. The service started in 2010 using metre-gauge. It currently operates on the lines West Coast Line from Padang Besar, Perlis to
Gemas Gemas (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Gomeh'') is a small town and a mukim (township) in Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. It is 101 km southeast of Seremban, the state capital city, and ...
. The trains travel up to on electrified lines. Each train set is capable of carrying up to 350 passengers.


Lines and systems


Fleet


Ridership


Rapid Transit


Light Rapid Transit (LRT)

The
medium-capacity rail system A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS trains are usually 1 to 4 cars. Most medi ...
, or officially named as Light Rapid Transit (LRT) by
Prasarana Malaysia Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation) A ...
, is a rail system that consists of four lines: LRT Kelana Jaya Line,
LRT Ampang Line , , The LRT Ampang Line and the LRT Sri Petaling Line are medium-capacity rail system, medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) lines in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The combined network comprises of tracks with 36 stations and was the ...
,
LRT Sri Petaling Line , , The LRT Ampang Line and the LRT Sri Petaling Line are medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) lines in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The combined network comprises of tracks with 36 stations and was the first railway in Malaysia to us ...
and the upcoming LRT Shah Alam Line. The lines are operated by
Rapid Rail Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd is the operator of the rapid transit (metro) system serving Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley area in Malaysia. A subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is the sole operator of five rapid transit lines which collectively form t ...
and owned by
Prasarana Malaysia Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation) A ...
. It is not to be confused with a
light rail transit Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
, which bears a similar acronym. The Ampang and Sri Petaling Lines share a single rail line from Sentul Timur to Chan Sow Lin, before they branch off to Ampang and
Putra Heights Putra Heights is a 1,796 acres residential township developed by Sime UEP Properties since 1999 in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the ''mukim'' of Petaling District. History Before 1974, Subang Jaya was part of Klang Di ...
respectively. The combined line has 36 stations and uses semi-automated trains. The lines entered service with the first phase opening on 16 December 1996, second phase in July 1998 and a recent extension on 30 June 2016. The Kelana Jaya Line is a LRT system which runs from
Gombak The Gombak District is an administrative district located in the eastern-central part of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The district was created on February 1, 1974, the same day when Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory. History Go ...
to
Putra Heights Putra Heights is a 1,796 acres residential township developed by Sime UEP Properties since 1999 in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the ''mukim'' of Petaling District. History Before 1974, Subang Jaya was part of Klang Di ...
. It is the first fully automated and driverless rail system in Malaysia, and began operations on 1 September 1998. An extension project to connect the Kelana Jaya Line to the
Sri Petaling Line , , The LRT Ampang Line and the LRT Sri Petaling Line are medium-capacity rail system, medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) lines in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The combined network comprises of tracks with 36 stations and was the ...
via Putra Heights was completed on 1 July 2016.


Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)

As the population of the
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
region grew higher and traffic congestion became much more problematic, the government had embarked on realising a public transport project to ease congestion. The new
Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project is a planned three-line mass rapid transit (MRT) system in the Klang Valley (Greater Kuala Lumpur), an urban conurbation in Malaysia which includes the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The MRT lines, w ...
(KVMRT) project was drafted up on early 2010 with three lines to be built, which now include
MRT Kajang Line The MRT Kajang Line, previously known as the MRT Sungai Buloh–Kajang Line, is a Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line servicing the Klang Valley, Malaysia. It is the second List of automated urban metro subway system ...
,
MRT Putrajaya Line The MRT Putrajaya Line is the second Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the third List of automated urban metro subway systems, fully automated and driverless rail system in the countr ...
and the upcoming
MRT Circle Line The MRT Circle Line, also known as MRT 3, is a proposed thirteenth rail transit line, the third Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit, Mass Rapid Transit line and the fifth List of automated urban metro subway systems, fully automated and driverles ...
. All three lines are operated by
Rapid Rail Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd is the operator of the rapid transit (metro) system serving Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley area in Malaysia. A subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is the sole operator of five rapid transit lines which collectively form t ...
and owned by
MRT Corp Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sendirian Berhad (abbreviated as MRT Corp or MRTC) is a Malaysian state-owned company and a corporate body established under the Ministry of Finance (Incorporation) Act 1957. MRT Corp is fully owned by the Minist ...
. MRT stations are also supported with additional parking areas and feeder buses for last mile connectivity. The Kajang Line is the first mass rapid transit (MRT) line constructed in Malaysia. It is a fully automated and driverless rail system with 29 stations and stretches from
Kwasa Damansara Kwasa Damansara is a new township located in the Sungai Buloh (federal constituency), Sungai Buloh constituency of Selangor, Malaysia. Located 14 km northwest of Kuala Lumpur's central business district, it borders Kota Damansara to the south and S ...
to
Kajang Kajang is a city in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia, located southeast of Kuala Lumpur. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the L ...
. The Kajang 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 Kajang Line has been serving various densely populated suburban areas such as
Bandar Utama Bandar Utama Damansara is a residential township located within the Sungai Buloh mukim (subdivision) of the Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is a residential suburb and home to the popular 1 Utama Shopping Centre. Bandar Utama Damansar ...
,
Kota Damansara Kota Damansara is an affluent township located in Petaling Jaya, Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is a township spread across . It is also a state seat constituency which is sandwiched between Subang and Petaling Jaya. Notable landmar ...
and
Balakong Balakong is a township in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Located to the southeast of Greater Kuala Lumpur, the township consists mainly of residential condominiums, office complexes and factories. Notable landmarks in Balakong include ...
. The second MRT line currently in operation is the
Putrajaya Line The MRT Putrajaya Line is the second Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the third fully automated and driverless rail system in the country. It was previously known as the MRT Sungai Buloh–Serdang–Putrajaya Line ...
. It also uses fully automated and driverless train-sets running from Kwasa Damansara to
Putrajaya Sentral Putrajaya Sentral is a bus hub and a train station in Presint 7, Putrajaya, Malaysia. It is served by the MRT Putrajaya Line, as well as the ERL KLIA Transit Line under the name Putrajaya & Cyberjaya. Putrajaya Sentral also comprises other multi ...
with a track length of . Works on building the line began on 15 September 2016 and its first phase was opened on 16 June 2022. The second phase began operations on 16 March 2023. The Putrajaya Line provides an alternative travel route for the population of Putrajaya to travel to the heart of
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
without the need for a personal vehicle or using the
KLIA Transit The ERL KLIA Transit is a commuter rail service which serves as an airport rail link to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station ...
line. The Putrajaya Line also links several townships south of Kuala Lumpur, including
Cyberjaya Cyberjaya (a portmanteau of ''cyber'' and ''Putrajaya'') is a planned city with a science park as its core that forms part of Greater Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. It is located in Sepang District, Selangor. Cyberjaya is adjacent to and developed ...
,
Seri Kembangan Seri Kembangan, also known as Serdang, formerly known as Serdang New Village, is a town located in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located in between Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. The town is now a considerable city in size. It is loc ...
and
Sungai Besi Sungai Besi (formerly known as ''Sungei Besi'') (English: Steel River) is a town and suburb within the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The federal constituency of Sungai Besi existed from 1974 to 1995. Sungai Besi was a historical mining t ...
as well as
Universiti Putra Malaysia University of Putra Malaysia ( Malay: ''Universiti Putra Malaysia''), abbreviated as UPM, is a Malaysian public research university located in Serdang, Selangor. Formerly it was named Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Agricultural University of ...
(UPM).


Monorail

Malaysia has only one operational
monorail A monorail is a Rail transport, railway in which the track consists of a single rail or beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, the term refers to the style ...
system, the
KL Monorail The KL Monorail Line is the only operational monorail system in Malaysia. Operated as part of the Rapid KL system by Rapid Rail, a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is one of the components of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. Th ...
in
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
. Previously, another monorail line in
Malacca City Malacca City ( or ') is the List of capitals in Malaysia, capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca, in Melaka Tengah District. It is List of cities by time of continuous habitation, the oldest Malaysian city on the Straits of Malacca, hav ...
, the
Melaka Monorail The Melaka Monorail was a monorail system in Malacca City, Malacca, Malaysia with 3 stations – Tun Ali, Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat. Troubled since its inception in 2010, with services suspended between 2013 and 2017, the monorail has not been o ...
was also operational. Both monorail systems use elevated straddle-beams as rail tracks. The KL Monorail is mainly used for urban public transport, while the Melaka Monorail, now abandoned, was used as a displayed tourist attraction. The
KL Monorail The KL Monorail Line is the only operational monorail system in Malaysia. Operated as part of the Rapid KL system by Rapid Rail, a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is one of the components of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. Th ...
is an , 11-station monorail system operated by
Rapid Rail Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd is the operator of the rapid transit (metro) system serving Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley area in Malaysia. A subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is the sole operator of five rapid transit lines which collectively form t ...
and owned by
Prasarana Malaysia Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation) A ...
. The monorail system uses 4-car train-sets built by
Scomi Rail Scomi Rail, formerly MTrans and Monorail Malaysia, was a Malaysian rail system manufacturer specializing in monorails. A subsidiary of Scomi Group, the company was one of the world's three leading providers of monorail systems, and one of only fo ...
and serves areas from
KL Sentral Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station (KL Sentral) is a transit-oriented development that houses the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Opened on 16 April 2001, KL Sentral replaced the old Kuala Lumpur railway station as t ...
to
Titiwangsa Titiwangsa is one of the main areas located on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Kuala Lumpur General Hospital is located south of Titiwangsa. The current member of Parliament of Malaysia, parliament for Titiwangsa is Johari Abdul Gha ...
, as well as other areas such as
Pudu The pudus (Mapudungun ''püdü'' or ''püdu'', , ) are two species of South American deer from the genus ''Pudu'', and are the world's smallest deer. The chevrotains (mouse-deer; Tragulidae) are smaller, but they are not true deer. The name is ...
,
Bukit Bintang Bukit Bintang (; stylised as Bintang Walk or Starhill, the latter being a translation of the Malay language, Malay name) is the shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It encompasses Jalan Bukit Bintang (''Bukit Bintang ...
and
Bukit Nanas Bukit Nanas (Weld Hill during colonial rule) is a small hill in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With a height of 94 meters (308 ft) above sea level, it contains the only virgin tropical rain forest left in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The Bukit Nanas For ...
. In 2021, the system served a total of 4.226 million passengers. The
Melaka Monorail The Melaka Monorail was a monorail system in Malacca City, Malacca, Malaysia with 3 stations – Tun Ali, Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat. Troubled since its inception in 2010, with services suspended between 2013 and 2017, the monorail has not been o ...
is a uni-directional single track monorail system which formerly had three stations. Since its opening on 21 October 2010, the system suffered various incidents, including frequent breakdowns and lack of maintenance. The company, Monorail Theme Park & Studios, which operated the system, had its contract terminated in September 2021 and the system had stopped operating. There are currently no plans of reviving this system.


Automated Rail Transit (ART)

On 16 December 2022, the Premier of Sarawak released the Phase 1 integrated transit map of the KUTS project with a 69.9-kilometer route consisting of 3 initial rail lines and a total of 31 stations (with 5 provisional stations) to be completed in stages, with Phase 1 of the Blue Line scheduled to be completed in 2026 while the remaining lines are to be constructed at a later date.


Freight trains

KTM Kargo provides cargo conveyance services, with a network that spans almost the whole of the KTMB rail network. It is accessible from seaports and Inland Container Terminal (ICT) as well as industrial centres. Cargo services are a major contributor to KTM's overall revenue. urrently, there are 45 cargo train services daily with 23 routes daily, of which about 70% are concentrated in the Northern sector. KTMB runs 37 freight train services daily of which about 80% are concentrated in the Northern sector.


Speciality trains


Funicular system

The
Penang Hill Railway The Penang Hill Railway is a one-section funicular, funicular railway which climbs the Penang Hill from Ayer Itam, on the outskirts of the city of George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state ...
in Penang is the
funicular A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep grade (slope), slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to ...
system in Malaysia. The system uses a single
metre-gauge railway Metre-gauge railways ( US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre. Metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by several European colonial powers including France, Britain and ...
track, with a total length of and a
passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains o ...
in the middle. The inclination is around 52.9% at maximum and 18.8% at minimum. The system was first opened as a two-section system in 1923 and managed by the former George Town Municipality (now Penang Island City Council). On 1 February 1977, the ownership was transferred to the Penang State Government and a complete overhaul was done in 2010 to convert the system into a one-section railway. The system travels through eight stations from the Lower Station at Air Itam to the Upper Station on top of the
Penang Hill Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks near the center of Penang Island, Malaysia. It is located west of the centre of George Town, Penang, George Town. Penang Hill is also known by the Malay language, Malay name ''Bukit Ben ...
. 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.


Cable transport

Cable transport in Malaysia is typically used in the tourism industry to transport tourists to the peak of a hill or highland using
gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate suppo ...
s. As of May 2023, there are three cable transport systems built: Langkawi Cable Car, Awana Skyway and
Genting Skyway Genting Gohtong Jaya Cable Car (formerly Genting SkyWay) is a gondola lift connecting Gohtong Jaya and Resort Hotel in Genting Highlands, Selangor, Malaysia. Its lower station at Gohtong Jaya township, located approximately northeast of Kuala Lu ...
. The former is located in
Langkawi Island Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah (), is a duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands (plus five small islands visible only at low tide in the Strait of Malacca) located some 30 km off the coast of northwe ...
, while the latter two are located in
Genting Highlands Genting Highlands is a hill station located on the peak of Mount Ulu Kali in the Titiwangsa Mountains, central Peninsular Malaysia, at 1800 metres elevation. Located in the state of Pahang, it was established in 1965 by the late Malaysian busi ...
. The Langkawi Cable Car, or Langkawi SkyCab, is a 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 An inclined elevator or inclined lift is a form of cable railway that hauls rail cars up a steep gradient. Introduction An inclined elevator consists of one or two inclined tracks on a slope with a single car on each carrying payload. In ...
. 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. Another two cable car systems located in
Genting Highlands Genting Highlands is a hill station located on the peak of Mount Ulu Kali in the Titiwangsa Mountains, central Peninsular Malaysia, at 1800 metres elevation. Located in the state of Pahang, it was established in 1965 by the late Malaysian busi ...
are Awana Skyway and
Genting Skyway Genting Gohtong Jaya Cable Car (formerly Genting SkyWay) is a gondola lift connecting Gohtong Jaya and Resort Hotel in Genting Highlands, Selangor, Malaysia. Its lower station at Gohtong Jaya township, located approximately northeast of Kuala Lu ...
. Awana Skyway is a three-station cable car system owned by Genting Malaysia Berhad. From 1977 to 2014, the system used an
aerial tramway An aerial tramway, aerial tram, sky tram, cable car or aerial cablecar, aerial cableway, ropeway, téléphérique (French), or Seilbahn (German) is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary cables for support, with a third movin ...
lift and had two stations. A newer mono cable
gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate suppo ...
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. Besides the Awana Skyway,
Genting Skyway Genting Gohtong Jaya Cable Car (formerly Genting SkyWay) is a gondola lift connecting Gohtong Jaya and Resort Hotel in Genting Highlands, Selangor, Malaysia. Its lower station at Gohtong Jaya township, located approximately northeast of Kuala Lu ...
is also a
gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate suppo ...
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 , 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.


People mover

The only automated
people mover A people mover or automated people mover (APM) is a type of small-scale automated guideway transit system. The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks ...
system (APM) in Malaysia is the Aerotrain, which is located within
Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the Greater Kuala L ...
's (KLIA) Terminal 1. The 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. The system ceased operations on 2 March 2023 due to technical problems on the aging system, and will gradually reopen starting June 2024.


Railway operators


Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad

The main intercity passenger train operator is
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) (; Jawi: ) or colloquially referred to simply as KTM, is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. ...
(KTM), a corporation owned by the
Malaysian government The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia (; Jawi: ), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a federation comp ...
. It operates the diesel-hauled
KTM Intercity KTM Intercity () are diesel-hauled intercity train services in Peninsular Malaysia, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). Services operate along the East Coast Line between Tumpat and Gemas and on towards JB Sentral on the Wes ...
passenger trains on the entire East Coast Line and the southern portion of the West Coast Line, and the electrified
KTM ETS The KTM ETS, commercially known as ETS (Electric Train Service), is an inter-city rail, inter-city higher-speed rail service in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). The KTM ETS is the second electric train service to be operated by t ...
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
KTM Komuter KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to o ...
, KTM operates
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
services along double-track and electrified portions of the West Coast Line between
Tanjung Malim Tanjong Malim, or Tanjung Malim, is a town in Muallim District, Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur and 120 km south of Ipoh via the North–South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sunga ...
in
Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...
and
Pulau Sebang Pulau Sebang (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ) is a mukim and town in Alor Gajah District, Malacca, Malaysia, which borders Tampin town of Tampin District, Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan ...
in
Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...
, and between Padang Besar in
Perlis Perlis (Kedah Malay language, Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): ''Peghelih'') is a Negeri, state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. The state borders the Thai ...
and
Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
in
Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...
, as well as the Butterworth,
Port Klang Port Klang () is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham (), it was renamed to Port Klang in July 1972 and has since become the largest port in the country. It is located about sou ...
and
Batu Caves Batu Caves is a 325-m tall mogote with a series of limestone caves in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located about north of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The cave complex contains many Hindu temples, the most popular of which is a shri ...
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 Sabah State Railway () is a railway system and operator in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. It is the only rail transport system operating on the island of Borneo. The railway consists of a single 134-kilometre line from Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinaba ...
, 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 Tenom (, ) is the capital of the Tenom District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located about 176 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu and 128 kilometres north of Long Pasia, which is one of the famous attractions in Sabah. Ten ...
in
East Malaysia East Malaysia (), or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. East Malaysia comprises the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory ...
.


Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd

Sarawak Metro was set up by the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) as a way to operate and develop the state's public transportation assets. It is currently in charge of leading the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project that is undergoing construction as well as maintaining its fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses. There are currently no plans for it to operate railway services in the state.


Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd

The
Express Rail Link The Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd is a company that owns and operates the airport rail link of the same name that connects the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with the Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral) transportation hub, 57 kilometres a ...
(ERL) is a private company that was set up to develop and operate the high-speed railway between Kuala Lumpur's
KL Sentral Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station (KL Sentral) is a transit-oriented development that houses the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Opened on 16 April 2001, KL Sentral replaced the old Kuala Lumpur railway station as t ...
station and the
Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the Greater Kuala L ...
. It operates two services along the 59.1 km
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
line, the non-stop
KLIA Ekspres The KLIA Ekspres is an express airport rail link servicing the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station, Terminal 1 and KLIA T2 ERL ...
and the commuter-like
KLIA Transit The ERL KLIA Transit is a commuter rail service which serves as an airport rail link to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Malaysia. It runs from KL Sentral, the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur to KLIA's KLIA T1 ERL station ...
. Trains on the two services can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h and are the fastest in Malaysia. Besides trains, the company also provides check-in facilities at its Kuala Lumpur City Airport Terminal at
KL Sentral Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station (KL Sentral) is a transit-oriented development that houses the main railway station of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Opened on 16 April 2001, KL Sentral replaced the old Kuala Lumpur railway station as t ...
. Except for check-in baggage of passengers, Express Rail Link does not handle any cargo.


Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd

Rapid Rail Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd is the operator of the rapid transit (metro) system serving Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley area in Malaysia. A subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is the sole operator of five rapid transit lines which collectively form t ...
was set up by
Prasarana Malaysia Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation) A ...
to operate the rapid transit public transport service in the
Klang Valley Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
.
Prasarana Malaysia Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) (English: Malaysian Infrastructure Limited) is a government-owned company which was set up by Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) as a corporate body established under the Minister of Finance (Incorporation) A ...
is fully owned by Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the corporate arm of the Malaysian
Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...
. The company currently operates two MRT lines, three LRT lines and one monorail line in Kuala Lumpur under the
Rapid KL Rapid KL (stylized as ''rapidKL'') is a public transportation system owned by Prasarana Malaysia and operated by its subsidiaries Rapid Rail and Rapid Bus. The acronym stands for , which translates to Kuala Lumpur Integrated Rapid Transit Net ...
brand, namely the
Kajang Line The MRT Kajang Line, previously known as the MRT Sungai Buloh–Kajang Line, is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line servicing the Klang Valley, Malaysia. It is the second fully automated and driverless rail system in the Klang Valley region afte ...
,
Putrajaya Line The MRT Putrajaya Line is the second Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and the third fully automated and driverless rail system in the country. It was previously known as the MRT Sungai Buloh–Serdang–Putrajaya Line ...
,
Ampang Line , , The LRT Ampang Line and the LRT Sri Petaling Line are medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) lines in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The combined network comprises of tracks with 36 stations and was the first railway in Malaysia to us ...
,
Sri Petaling Line , , The LRT Ampang Line and the LRT Sri Petaling Line are medium-capacity rail system, medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) lines in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. The combined network comprises of tracks with 36 stations and was the ...
,
Kelana Jaya Line The LRT Kelana Jaya Line is a medium-capacity light rapid transit (LRT) line and the first fully automated and driverless rail system in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. It forms part of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System in and around Ku ...
and
KL Monorail The KL Monorail Line is the only operational monorail system in Malaysia. Operated as part of the Rapid KL system by Rapid Rail, a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is one of the components of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. Th ...
.


Other operators

*Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Berhad: The main operator of airports in Malaysia is also the operator of the Aerotrain at
Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the main international airport serving Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of downtown Kuala Lumpur and serves the Greater Kuala L ...
. *Penang Hill Corporation: The
Penang Hill Railway The Penang Hill Railway is a one-section funicular, funicular railway which climbs the Penang Hill from Ayer Itam, on the outskirts of the city of George Town, Penang, George Town in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state ...
is managed by the Penang Hill Corporation, a statutory body of the Penang state government.


See also

*
Rail transport by country This page provides an index of articles on rail transport by country. International railway organisations * International Union of Railways (UIC) * International Union of Public Transport (UITP) * Association of American Railways (AAR) * O ...
*
Transport in Malaysia Transportation in Malaysia started to develop during British colonial rule, and the country's transport network is now diverse and developed. Malaysia's road network is extensive, covering 290,099.38 kilometres, including 2,016.05 km of ...
*
Klang Valley Integrated Transit System The Klang Valley Integrated Transit System is an integrated transport network that primarily serves the area of Klang Valley and Greater Kuala Lumpur. The system commenced operations in August 1995 with the introduction of commuter rail se ...
*
Kuala Lumpur–Singapore high-speed rail The Kuala Lumpur–Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) is a proposed railway project to link Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Singapore via a high-speed rail line. It was first proposed by then Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in September 2010. Sing ...
* Railway stations in South East Asia


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rail Transport In Malaysia