Train ES 45 from Gemas to JB Sentral is the last remnant of the diesel railway service of the West Coast railway line of Malaysia.
Malaysia has been gradually modernising the line from Padang Besar to Johor Bahru. Most of the line has been electrified and double tracked, and the new line is now used by the ETS (Electric Train Service), which can travel at speeds of up to 140 km/h.
The last section to be upgraded is the southern section from Gemas to Johor Bahru. On this section, the diesel engine trains are still operating, giving a glimpse of what the railway was like before the electric service began.
[ES 45 diesel engine.]
The electric double-tracking project is expected to be completed by 2025, so it will be an end of an era for these diesel engine services on the West Coast.
Booking tickets for ES 45
Tickets for trains from Gemas to JB Sentral can be booked via the KTM ticket website.
Passengers travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru need to book two separate tickets (and three separate tickets to travel from KL to Singapore). I have a separate guide on how to travel from KL to Singapore by train.
ES 45 review
KTM ES 45 is timed to meet ETS 9321 which starts in Butterworth. Passengers from KL will need to get this train to make the KL-JB journey. There is a cross-platform interchange, so it’s just a matter of walking across the platform to the waiting train.
ETS 9321 arrives at Gemas at 14:52. and ES 45 departs Gemas at 15:20.
You will need a ticket first, so make sure you have one instead of winging it and trying to book one at the station.
[Transfer at Gemas.]
The train has different carriages, which suggests this service is now just cobbled together with the remaining Intercity carriages that are in service until they are retired by the new electric service.
The economy seats are in 2×2 configuration. The seats were comfortable and had enough legroom. I always wear jeans when getting the train in Malaysia because they usually have the air-conditioning on at full blast.
The carriages have squat toilets
And there are also seated toilets.
There is a cafe/restaurant carriage in the middle of the train. They don’t have a snack cart that goes through the train, so you will need to visit the cafe carriage if you want food.
I went up for a coffee, mainly so I could break the journey up by sitting in a different seat. This is one of the reasons I prefer train travel, so I can walk around instead of sitting for hours on end in the same seat.
Gemas is in the state of Negeri Sembilan, but most of the trip is in Johor State.
[Welcome to Johor.]
There are some scenic sections of the line that made me wonder where else I should explore in Johor. The mountains near Labis looking like a place worth visiting, and the most popular place to stop along the way is at Kluang.
[View at Labis.]
This being Malaysia, expect to see lots of palm oil plantations, or land being prepared for palm oil plantations.
[Cleared palm oil land.]
This used to be a single track railway, so trains in both directions would share the same track. The line is being double-tracked, which can be seen along the way.
[Electric double track in Johor.]
The train arrives at JB Sentral at 19:45. If you are continuing your journey to Singapore on the Shuttle Tebrau, then go upstairs and follow the signs. This is a more pleasant way to make the border crossing compared to the shuttle bus. If you are planning to travel to Singapore then book as far in advance as you can, because the shuttle tickets sell out.
[Arrived at JB Sentral.]
This train service will be discontinued once the electrified double-tracking rail project is completed. It will then be possible to travel from KL to JB on one train, with the journey expected to take 3.5 hours.
Diesel trains are still used on the East Coast railway line from Gemas to Tumpat (the Jungle Railway).
This article is part of the Nomadic Notes train travel series. Read more about Malaysia train travel and Southeast Asia train travel.
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