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KTM West Coast railway 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 near parallel to the west coast and serving the west coast states of Peninsular Malaysia. The line is owned and used entirely by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). Past , the line continues on to become the Thai Southern Line, which continues up towards Hat Yai and Bangkok.

The 1,151-kilometre line is busier than its east coast counterpart, the East Coast railway line since it is double-tracked and electrified for most of its route and has more services. The line handles a variety of passenger train services such as KTM ETS services, KTM Intercity services, State Railway of Thailand International Express services, KTM Komuter services within the Klang Valley and the George Town Conurbation, and freight trains. The entire line that is used for passenger services, except the Singapore section, is fully double-tracked and electrified.

Major stations on the line include , , , , , , and the Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore.

History

The West Coast railway line was developed in stretches on 1 June 1885, with the opening of the Taiping–Port Weld Line, and 1932 when the line opened up to , thus spanning the entire west coast of Peninsular Malaysia from on the Malaysia–Thai border to Singapore. The line began with the construction of branches linking coastal ports with inland tin mining areas before they were gradually linked up by the main truck line running through the interior of the West Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia.

The latest new lines to be built were the branch lines to West Port, North Port, Tanjung Pelepas, Pasir Gudang and the North Butterworth Container Terminal at the Port of Penang. The trunk line had also seen sections becoming disused, abandoned or even removed, with the latest being the closure and subsequent removal of the southernmost stretch of track between the Woodlands Train Checkpoint and in 2011.

Timeline

Source:

  • 6 May 1890: Taiping – Kamunting
  • 1 July 1892: Kamunting – Ulu Sepetang
  • 7 November 1892: Kuala Lumpur – Rawang
  • 1 June 1893: Kuala Lumpur – Pudu
  • 10 July 1893: Rawang – Serendah
  • 6 September 1893: Sungkai – Tapah Road
  • 17 October 1893: Batu Gajah – Ipoh
  • 27 April 1894: Kota Bharu – Batu Gajah
  • 29 September 1894: Tapah Road – Talam
  • 6 October 1894: Serendah – Kuala Kubu Bharu
  • 1 March 1895: Pudu – Sungai Besi
  • 18 March 1895: Talam – Kampar
  • 1 May 1895: Kampar – Kota Bharu
  • 1 June 1896: Ipoh – Tanjong Rambutan
  • 27 November 1896: Tanjong Rambutan – Chemor
  • 14 August 1897: Sungai Besi – Kajang
  • 5 July 1897: Chemor – Sungai Siput
  • 1 July 1898: Sungai Siput – Enggor
  • 1 July 1899: Prai – Bukit Mertajam
  • 1 September 1899: Ulu Sepetang – Pondok Tanjong
  • 1 November 1899: Krian River – Bagan Serai
  • 1 August 1900: Kuala Kubu Bharu – Kalumpang
  • 1 September 1900: Bukit Mertajam – Nibong Tebal
  • 15 September 1900: Enggor – Kuala Kangsar
  • 1 November 1900: Kalumpang – Tanjung Malim
  • 1 May 1901: Bagan Serai – Alor Pongsu
  • 1 July 1901: Kuala Kangsar – Padang Rengas
  • 1 February 1902: Alor Pongsu – Pondok Tanjong
  • 1 May 1902: Taiping – Bukit Gantang
  • 1 May 1902: Nibong Tebal – Krian River
  • 14 June 1902: Kajang – Bangi
  • 1 February 1903: Bangi – Batang Benar
  • 2 April 1903: Batang Benar – Seremban
  • 15 July 1903: Bukit Gantang – Padang Rengas
  • 15 July 1903: Slim River – Tanjung Malim
  • 15 August 1903: Sungkai – Slim River
  • 15 July 1905: Seremban – Tampin
  • 1 October 1906: Tampin – Gemas
  • 1 March 1908: Gemas – Segamat
  • 1 July 1909: Segamat – Johore Bahru
  • 19 October 1914: Bukit Mertajam – Pinang Tunggal
  • 1 March 1915: Pinang Tunggal – Gurun
  • 4 October 1915: Gurun – Alor Star
  • 15 October 1917: Alor Setar – Bukit Ketri
  • 1 March 1918: Bukit Ketri – Padang Besar
  • 17 September 1923: Johore Bahru – Woodlands

Services

The West Coast railway line is served by a variety of train services:

  • between and .
  • <small>The route between Gemas and JB Sentral is part of the West Coast Line while the route between Gemas and Tumpat is on the East Coast Line)</small>
  • at <small>(train services to on the East Coast Line)</small>
  • between and Woodlands Train Checkpoint
  • (express service that only stops at fewer main stations, on routes traveling beyond , one of 6 coaches upgraded to business class with free wifi, charging sockets, on board dining & single seats)
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • (express service that only stops at major stations, one of 6 coaches upgraded to business class with free wifi, charging sockets, on board dining & single seats)
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • (stops at all major stations and a few minor stations)
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • Between and
  • between and .
  • between and .
  • <s> between KL Sentral and .</s> (suspended due to low ridership)
  • Butterworth–Ipoh Line between and .
  • Padang Besar–Butterworth Line between and .
  • International Express between Padang Besar and Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal

Former Services

  • between and (terminated on 1 January 2026 following full deployment of ETS services on this route)
  • between and (terminated on 1 January 2026)

Projects

Klang Valley Double Track Project

The project was implemented by KTM to rehabilitate and upgrade the signalling system, electrification and tracks of the railway in the Klang Valley region, which are the oldest double-tracked and electrified railway in the country. The project began in 2016. Phase 1 of the KVDT, which entails the rehabilitation of 42&nbsp;km of tracks between and , as well as between and Batu Junction, while projected to be completed in 2021, was only completed in 2025. It was projected that once complete, train frequencies will be reduced to just seven-and-a-half minutes.

Phase 2 of the KVDT, which began in 2023, will cover the sections from Port Klang/Bangsar Junction to , and from to . It is projected to be completed by 2029.

Kempas Baru–Pasir Gudang passenger service line

On 9 May 2025, it was announced that the cargo-only Kempas Baru–Pasir Gudang railway line will soon be upgraded to accommodate passenger services. Passenger service along this line will primarily serve the high passengers flow expected from the upcoming Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS line in Johor Bahru, and is planned to be operational by 2026.

Line network

Main trunk line

The West Coast main trunk line stretches from on the Malaysia–Thailand border to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore.

The main trunk line is double-tracked and electrified from Padang Besar to . The line between JB Sentral and the Woodlands Train Checkpoint remains single-tracked and not electrified.

The West Coast railway line connects with the State Railway of Thailand at Padang Besar, while the East Coast Line branches off at .

Branch lines

The West Coast railway line includes several branch lines from the main trunk line, namely:

The Bukit Mertajam Junction to , Batu Junction to , Port Klang Junction to station, as well as the branch line to are double tracked and electrified.

The line from to Westport and its shipping terminals, to the NBCT, as well as the branch lines between Skudai Junction and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas and the and Pasir Gudang are single lines and not electrified.

There are also branch lines where most or only a few tracks exist but are currently not used for any service, closed or dismantled are:

None of these disused branch lines are double tracked nor electrified.

Stations

Main Trunk Line

Batu Junction–Batu Caves Branch Line

Port Klang Junction–Port Klang Branch Line

Bukit Mertajam Junction–Butterworth Branch Line

See also

References