Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train
I had read about train journeys through the jungles of SE Asia and always remember the past historical line that connected Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. I imagined steam trains pelting out smoke as the chugged through the jungle of days gone by. Nowadays however it is a three step journey by a modern, sleek, stylish train, then an older train and then a shuttle of bus drive across to the island.
Why would I want to catch a plane and see just the inside of two identical airports when I could take a long train ride through the landscape. I could watch the paddy fields, lush jungle and greenery of the vegetation whizz by. I could see village buildings and people working the land pass by from the comfort of my seat in an air conditioned carriage. So I did just that! Book in advance on their website as it is a busy line which will eventually be one single fast journey instead of the change halfway. It will be a few more years yet though before they will have finished upgrading the rest of the route.
I travelled by train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, during my month-long tour of South East Asia.
On this trip I also spent time in Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It was an amazing time of differing cultures, sights, sounds and smells and remains my most magical long-stay venture so far.
Read how you can combine several of these countries into a easy tour and get the most of the region while there.
Click below for my trip and reviews of these places.
How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
There are basically three options (taking out the horrendously expensive taxi option- if such a service can be obtained}
- Plane – would cost around £46 (if booked well in advance), plus cost of transport to and from each airport at around £14 so a total of £60. Would take about 7 hours door to door (with early arrivals for security etc and getting through immigration at arrivals). Most expensive route but quickest and fairly comfortable.
- Train – would take around 10 hours total door to door, cost around £14, and would be fairly comfortable but take the longest of all routes.
- Coach – would take around 8 hours door to door, depend on traffic conditions, cost around £12-20 depending on the service and be comfortable
So, as I said I was insistent on taking the train between these two great cities for the historical significance. The figures above kinda helped me decide to continue with my insistence.
Train would be possibly the cheapest way, but the longest time and reasonably comfortable. I get the benefit however, of seeing the countryside, rather than a motorway or inside of two airports.
My research showed that I would have to take a train from KL Sentral to Gemas, about halfway along the route, change there to Johor Bahru and then take either a shuttle train across the bridge into Woodlands station on Singapore Island or take one of the many regular buses across the bridge from the bus station below JB train station.
The more I read about the journey the more I wondered if I had chosen to do the right thing. A flight would be a simple city-to-city affair, comfortable and assured. But yet again I did not want to see the inside of two anonymous, fairly identical airports.
A coach would be fairly straightforward but unadventurous and I get no chance to stretch my legs for up to 7 hours. The thought of just seeing lines of traffic and motorway lanes along a major road also put me off that option.
The thought of seeing all the landscape and vegetation fly by me on the train capturing my imagination and occupying me for the hours still pushed me to take the trains.
So, train it is!
The trains seemed to be arranged so that the arrival at Gemas coincided with the departure of my connection to JB with a small wait. What if there was a delay on the line, what if I missed my connection? More fear added itself in when I saw that the schedule had only two trains a day from KL to Gemas for the connecting trains from Gemas to JB.
If there was an issue and I arrived late and missed the train connection there would not be another train for about 6 hours. That train would get me into JB after midnight and what hope was there of crossing into Singapore at that time of night!
The more I read up on info to do this route the more it made me nervous. I kept thinking that I do like my comforts but then where is the adventure in me if I would not risk this. I took a few days to research more. So much info was out of date as to train times and service and straightforward advice.
As I write this the timings have changed again so I relied on other bloggers’ reviews. These consistently said they had no issues with train connections and that trains generally ran on time in Malaysia with very few breakdowns etc.
That fortified my resolve – thank you fellow bloggers – and I renewed my efforts to do this method.
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train
So I worked out there was one train KL to Gemas at around 12 noon and one at around 21:00 (check Malaysian Railways website here for definite timings). The jorney takes around 2.5 hours and would cost around 36 MYR ( £7) and was to be a super modern, comfy, air conditioned train.
On arrival in Gemas I would wait for the connecting train that left around 10 mins later for the service from Gemas to Johor Bahru, on the coast opposite the island crossing to Singapore. These trains were less modern but still comfortable and would take around 5.5 hours to arrive in JB, costing 21 MYR (£4).
The two tickets would have to be bought separately as they are not a joined up service.
On arrival at JB all I had to do was follow the signs to the bus station which was pretty much underneath the station and chose which bus I wanted to catch from the many there to take me across the bay between Malaysia and Singapore into Woodlands station and the immigration point in Singapore. This journey would take about 20 mins and cost about £3, which I would pay to the bus driver.
From there I would have to either take a bus to central Singapore and connect to the Metro to my hotel or walk a short distance to take the Metro all the way.
That was the plan for me to get from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train – so did it work out ok ? Read on !
KL Sentral train station to Gemas.
I had booked my tickets online in the UK to ensure I got a seat and paid by credit card. I would advise this as there is a limited service to Gemas, others found the service busy and I certainly found that most seats leaving were booked so don’t leave it until the day , or even week, before.
So, I booked my ticket through this website busonlineticket.com as I found the Malaysian Railways site for online ticket purchases, confusing and frustratingly illogical. The busonlineticket site charges about £1 per ticket but this was worth it for the ease of booking.
I printed off my tickets and was now set for my trip from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train. In Malaysia there was no issue when I showed any inspector etc my print offs.
I arrived at the modern KL Sentral train station and easily found my train and platform from the departures board and boarded. The train was waiting and I was pleasantly surprised at how state of the art it was.
It looked almost new – very modern, comfortable, sparklingly clean and well maintained, with air conditioning …… and very full.
Most seats were taken but they were comfortable enough even with people beside me.
The windows were huge picture windows so I knew I was going to get a good view. Warning though. If you book seats that are at the carriage ends ie seat no 1, invariably those don’t have windows as they are near the door exits and thus are a wall for the siding electric doors.
Chose a seat mid carriage for best views.
The journey from KL to Gemas is on these new trains and on a new track specially built for the high speed trains. This is why this half of the journey is only 2.5 hors long compared to twice that time on the second half.
The plan is that the electrified route to Gemas will be extended to Johor Bahru, opposite Singapore. This route for Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train will then be one continuous train journey with no transfer and much quicker,
The talk is that a new line is being built to the south and when it is finished the new express trains will then do the journey in around 90 mins in one complete journey. It will connect other cities between KL and Singapore.
On the present more inland route, it takes about 8 hours with a change of train, so that will be a huge improvement and faster than by plane door to door.
The new route has been talked about for years and whilst the plan was for it to open in 2020. It looks more like 2025 or even later if the usual delays take place.
We left Kuala Lumpur at a relatively slow pace for a fast train. I guess the track had more curves to negotiate and there would be noise considerations for those living near the rails.
Leaving the gradually smaller buildings behind, we entered into more green territory with the beginnings of farmland and cultivation.
I was expecting jungle immediately but it was clear that many of the farms were small and were clearings from the previous forest areas. Buildings stood out with their terracotta coloured tiled roofs and white washed walls.
Tarmaced roads lead between houses and small communities and the buildings and homes seemed fairly new and modern.
The holdings contained various ground crops and bushes. Not being familiar with how tropical fruit and veg is grown I could not make out what they were but they certainly were green !
Gemas to Johor Bahru
After the scheduled 2.5 hours ride the train slid to a slow halt at Gemas and everyone disembarked. We had arrived exactly on time !
Although it was not a dead end station the train was going no further on this route. It was an electric train and the route from here to JB would be by diesel train.
I grabbed my luggage and disembarked with everyone else, most of whom seem to be waiting for the next train like me.
An Indian lady clearly saw that I was one of the few foreigners (Caucasian) on the train and struck up a conversation in English with me. She was relieved that I spoke back in English and it turned out that she had lived in the UK for a few years with her son who now lives there permanently.
She was going to Singapore like me as she now lived there and had done this trip before so luckily she could guide me to where the JB train would be coming in – luckily on the opposite track.
Right on time the JB train arrived – no delay issues at all, which was a relief.
The guard ushered everybody waiting onto the train and I took my numbered seat. The lady sat next to me even though it was not her seat and had to move once when some one got on board having booked the seat she had commandeered. They got off at the next stop so we continued our chat which went on for most of the journey.
Our chats made the journey go faster and it was nice to talk to someone on the route so I didn’t feel completely alone.
She had travelled quite a bit around the world and often went back to India to see family so we had a lot to talk about in common with our travels.
This train was not as modern as the first train. It was being pulled by a diesel locomotive and was a lot noisier than the electric train.
Whilst the interior was ok, it was a bit dated but still clean and comfortable. Clearly until the line is electrified they are not going to put newer trains on this part of the journey. The journey was more bumpy but in a way that added to the fun as we now entered into a more mountainous area.
From the windows I could see we were travelling between two mountain ranges rather than climbing their slopes and the modern houses and villages had given way to communities that were more rustic. The tarmacked roads gave way to clay coloured dirt tracks and we were clearly in a more remote and truly rural area.
The air was also cooler and despite the air con being on we were able to open windows and lean out to get a feel for the mountain fresh air.
There were works beside the tracks that showed how they were upgrading the route to electric lines and every now and again we stopped at a country station. Stations were still very modern with good amenities so there was an attempt to keep the line up to date.
The fields were smaller here and as we had now entered into what felt like a jungle area there was less cultivation. Fields gave way to areas of grassland, bushes and trees and the vista was much more untamed and wild. The variety of trees was enormous – I had no idea what most were but it left me gazing at their marvellous shapes and colours.
We at times passed over rivers and the route was slower clearly due to the terrain we are now in.
At several points the vegetation got closer and closer to the windows and I wanted to reach out and grab the trees- they were several metres away so that wasn’t going to happen . This was what I had hoped for, that we would travel through wild jungle and forests.
I had read of Malaysia’s colonial past and that the jungles, rubber trees and timber were all part of that, and that was what I was seeing now.
Nearing Johor Bahru
Soon the forest were giving away to farms again and we had clearly exited the areas that I had fantasied about travelling through.
The terrain was flatter but also there were thick lines of regimented trees.
They had the appearance of plantations and I realised that we were in an intensively farmed area. Rows of banana tress appeared, then rows of palm trees (palm oil). There were even rows of date palms and what I could only assume were rubber tree plantations.
Whilst it felt good to be amongst heavily forested areas and a feeling of nature, (the environmentalist in me was screaming out happily), it was also surreal that these trees were in conformist lines. Every now and again tracks appeared between the plantations that obviously trucks took in their cultivation process.
When I flew into Kuala Lumpur airport a few days ago I had seen this type of plantation from the air and recognised its similarity. If these were the dreaded palm oil trees that I was seeing, that was adding to the destruction of natural wildlife and flora, then I was not happy at seeing them.
The terrain flattened even more and there were small villages appearing as we approached our destination.
I got one shot of cattle drinking at a man-made water canal that was used for irrigation. This was possibly also the only view I had of cattle on the landscape during the entire journey .
JB Sentral
My arrival at Johor Bahru central train station (called JB Sentral) surprised me. As we slid into the city I saw massive skyscrapers ahead.
I was expecting a more sleepy, olde worlde town-scape but here it was a very modern … and tall … city. Just something I was not expecting.
The station was incredibly modern and actually seemed new. Big spaces for gathering, lots of shops on the forecourts, great facilities. I felt I had already arrived in Singapore (which was only a few kilometres away across the water).
Malaysia had certainly surprised me in many ways at its modernity and organised cities – it rivalled some of the best I had seen in the world … and I was about to leave it now.
Getting into Singapore
So, I needed to now get to the border with Singapore. That border is actually across the water facing JB.
The options are to take a shuttle train. I had heard and read many stories of how crowded this train was, you had to queue for a long time to get on, tickets often sold out and it is not that frequent despite the demand. Nope, not for me.
If I had taken the coach the crossing would merely have been me disembarking at the coach stop at the boarder and going through customs with my bag and then re-board the bus once over the border.
I would now descend the escalators into the basement of the station, walking a fair distance to get there and arrive at the bus station. I found the area where the buses for Singapore leave – more like large minivans and you pay the driver when you enter.
It was a little cramped but as soon as we were full, after about 10 mins, we headed out across the traffic bridge linking the two sides of the waterway that separate Singapore island from JB and arrived at Singapore customs.
Yes, getting through customs took about 30 mins as the crowds were big . I had read this was usual and unavoidable, but hey, this was an adventure. It is true what the reports say- it does take a while (30 mins) to get through customs via long queues.
Eventually it was my turn to pass through teh customs gate. A cursory look at my passport, stamped and within 10 seconds I was through border control.
I had now completed my Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train adventure and had really enjoyed the journey. Time flew by and I was never bored at gazing out into the horizon from the train and taking in the passing vista.
Once through customs. it’s a walk out and catch a taxi. Alternatively walk to the side and catch a bus or walk a little farther and catch a Metro to wherever you want to go in the city. I took the bus as it went directly to a Metro station from where it was a couple of stops to my hotel.
The Metro from Woodlands would have been a much longer circular route and I just wanted to get to the hotel as soon as possible now.
Welcome back to Singapore!
I had one evening/night of relaxation here and a late flight back to London the next day . This had now become my most memorable and enjoyable tour so far.
If ever you want to do the Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train journey, it is actually quite easy. Just buy tickets in advance and be prepared to wait at the border. Next time I would do it by coach just to see the difference ….. and when that 90 mins high speed train line opens in the future, that would be an exhilarating trip!
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train blog post.
If you are wondering how to get tickets and info on getting to the location in this post, please take a look at Bookaway. Their website is here https://www.bookaway.com
If you need specific ticket and timetable info on the destination I have featured here on this post, then click here for a link below to their site for this destination.
I use many forms of travel and often have to go to multiple sites to find prices, timetables and availability of tickets etc, but Bookaway has it all in one handy site.
I can recommend this site as I use many of the methods of transport and even the very companies they advertise on their site.
Their prices are similar to what you would find on the individual company sites, and often cheaper. The big advantage is that u have one site to visit for all destinations they cover and it is a fast and reliable system that you can depend on.
Hope you make use of Bookaway to ensure you get the best value and service for travel tickets.
Oct 2017
Below are some related posts on nearby places to visit. Click on the pic to view.
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I’m glad to see everything worked out for you with trip regarding timing of each train. You truly had yourself on an adventure as you explored this part of the world. I hope to get to see all these wondrous sights one day as you did. Thanks for sharing!
It was a fabulous trip – one I would do all again in a heartbeat. I hope the posts have given you an idea of how to explore this part of the world and that one day you get there.
Very much enjoyed this post. As ever, it’s incredibly detailed with all the practical information needed, particularly with respect to connections and the border crossing. Travelling by train is a lovely way to see a country – as you are really able to enjoy the landscapes (whether cultivated or natural) and sometimes strike up conversations with other passengers. Flying is convenient but, as you say, all you really see are anonymous airports. We’ve really enjoyed reading about your SE Asia adventures – there are definitely places we’d like to explore on future trips.
Thanks for the lovely commets. It was a truly memorable trip and nothing went wrong or detered me the whole time, so it was a successful one too. This area of the world has become my favourite to explore – so much culture. arcitectural marvels and diversity that I never knew about.
Great post. You had so many great adventures and really showed that the journey can be just as fun as the destination.
That’s very true. I always try to push myself out of my natural hesitant comfort zone to gain the benefits of experiencing new adventures and seeing wondorous places. It was an incredible journey.
Such a unique journey – I can totally see the appeal. I was a bit nervous for you, not going to lie! I’m glad it went so seamlessly and you got to see some beautiful scenery!
A childhood dream accomplished, and all so easily, inexpensively and full of wonder. I am planning many more of these road trips rather than plane so watch this space!
Im glad to read you took the plunge and took the train. I know like you said it is the slowest way but the scenery and what you see certainly makes up for it.
You seemed to have the best time and made the most of the journey and fair play for such a well documented guide to taking this journey very useful for anyone.
Thank you, am very glad you enjoyed the post and its info. I’m eafer to get back there and see if they have completed the electification of the train line.
It sure sounds like the journey by train went smoothly with lots of different vegetation to look at. It always helps when you meet people to chat with. It makes the journey go quicker.
I thoroughly enjoyed this train trip and would happily do it again. Can’t wait for the new line to open so the journey is less time-consuming between the two cities.
I love train travel–awesome post! I can’t wait to travel by train again soon–this post inspired me! I might actually take the train from Seattle to Portland in a few weeks based on the detail of your travels by train in this post!
Glad to have inspired you to take the train to travel. I did exactly your route but in revers from Portland to Seattle a few years ago. When you book you tickets for that route make sure you get a seat ot the right-hand side of the carriage facing the way forward. That way you get to see the fab views of the coast on the righthand side of the tracks (in the distance sometimes though).
It is incredible how quickly the world is moving on from the pandemic. You mentioned customs was crowded- people are just traveling again and it is beautiful to see. Thanks for sharing the adventure!
The post was in a previous year. However things are moving ahead now.
As always, we love your style with regard to *how* you travel. In this case, by train vs. plane. Even though it all goes by so quickly, you can still get a little taste of all of the places you pass through. It really stokes the imagination as well. “What’s it like to live in THAT house” or “work in THAT field?” It’s truly a wonderful experience. On tour in Japan (there I go again, lol), there are plenty of train rides, from Tokyo to Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, and wherever else that tour might take us. It’s a great opportunity for a weary musician to catch a nap between cities…. but I’ve never been able to, no matter how tired I am, because I want to see as much of the country as I can! It’s always a such fascinating highlight. I look forward to when we can visit Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and hopefully take this very train ride ourselves!
The more I take the train or bus between cities, even internationally across borders, the more I want to do it again. I’ve now decided that unless the overland jorney is just far too long, unsafe or impractical, I will do it in preference to a plane. So much more to see and experience of the country – its like a continuous movie about the country through the window.
Like you, I did several train journeys around Japan, principally by Shnikansen bullet trains (see my post on that)and loved it. I’m sure you will love KL and Singaore when you get there sometime.
I will always choose the train over plane as a preference. Only 3 hours difference, that would be an easy choice for me. I’m with you though, coach while more direct is way less fun. The views are lovely from the train and so nice that you got to meet people and have good conversations to pass the time
The more I use land transport for long distance journeys the more I like it. This one was no exception and I love seeing the world go by from the window while travelling.
That would be an interesting comparison between electric and diesel – not many get to experience both within a short period of time to really recognize the differences. I do enjoy travelling by train, especially the high speed trains. I find it very relaxing. Great info shared for those that you many convince to forgo the inconvenience of flying and do the train instead.
Yes, the difference between the two train types was noticeable but both were comfortable. I’d love to go back and go by the new high speed non-stop train between the two cities when they finish it in the future.
Border crossings can be tricky – but the detail you’ve provided make it seem less worrisome. Doing it by train seems pretty straightforward, and a great way to see more local experience than a train.
I’d happily do this journey by train again. Not only is it inexpensive but the sights on the way through the windows are so rewarding. I was surprised at how straight forward it was to cross the border after reading several accounts that spoke of complications.
A unique journey and I can imagine the time just flew by. Luckily you made all your connections and the trip turned out to be hassle-free. And do I understand this correctly, they are building a new connection which only takes 90 minutes instead of 10h? That is insane!
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
The route KL to JB is presently 8 hours but I added in the time to cross the bay, pass through customs and get the Metro to my Singapore hotel as being at total of 10 hours.
The advertising for the new future express train states a 90 mins journey (on a different route entirely) as it will be a purpose-built, dedicated line for the express trains (a bit like the Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains).
I feel that may be an intended time rather than a realistic one as the line isn’t even built yet. I look forward to travelling on that line when its complete!
I loved learning about the train experience from KL to JB. It’s always a bit stressful when you have to connect to another train, with timing and whatnot, but it seems like your experience wasn’t too bad! Great for those looking to do the same route, very informative.
I loved doing that journey. Time flew by as I watched everything through the windows and fortunately the trains all ran on time!