What next for the high-speed rail from KL to Singapore?
Sign up now: Get insights on the biggest stories in Malaysia
Some have argued that with the new electric train service and upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System, the proposed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail might not be needed.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: BERITA HARIAN
Follow topic:
KUALA LUMPUR – When KTM finally unveiled its Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru electric train service (ETS)
On paper, it is possible for a train running non-stop from KL Sentral to reach JB Sentral, a rail distance of 330km, in three hours, given the design speed of the alignment, which is 160kmh. In practice, however, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) is running the ETS sets at 140kmh to maintain a decent safety margin on the metre-gauge network, as well as to keep the lid on maintenance costs.
A significant limitation is the relatively dated metre-gauge alignment that was inherited from the colonial days, which sees KTMB’s southern alignment snaking through the interiors of Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor back in the days when moving freight was considered far more important than passengers.
The new southern ETS
Some explain away this unsatisfactory travel duration by pointing to the Klang Valley Double Track rehabilitation work, which currently stretches from parts of Klang Valley to Seremban.
This situation is expected to last until 2029 (or later), thus locking in the “slow” journey time to JB Sentral for the next few years.
Worse, as there is practically only one single KTMB alignment, experts are already flagging other parts of the KTMB network that will need rehabilitation in the years to come, thus affecting future travel durations. For example, parts of the stretch between Seremban to Gemas were completed much earlier than the Gemas to Johor Bahru stretch, with the Seremban-Sungai Gadut stretch completed in 2011, while the Sungai Gadut-Gemas stretch was completed in 2013.
Depending on the state of maintenance and the loading imposed on the tracks, these parts of the infrastructure need to be fully renewed at some point, beyond just simple maintenance. With this in mind, there is absolutely no guarantee that the ETS’ average speed will increase, while there are certainly many things that can slow it down.
Do we still need the cross-border HSR?
Some people have argued that the completion of the Gemas-Johor Baru double track, coupled with the impending completion of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link by the end of 2026, will remove the need for the proposed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR).
However, such arguments ignore the reality that any crossing into Singapore from Johor Bahru will run into the massive crowd heading in and out of Johor and Singapore – making it among the world’s busiest land crossings – almost daily.
Hence, a bottleneck is expected during the customs and immigration clearance process.
Furthermore, Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation has confirmed that there is a 450m gap between the ETS platform at JB Sentral and the RTS station, though it is understood that a travelator will help smooth the walk somewhat.
Due to the expected high number of cross-border travellers, crossing into Singapore using the LRT will take some time during peak hours, which starts even before 5am on the Johor Bahru side.
Given this scenario, it is not inconceivable that a journey from KL Sentral into Singapore via the RTS during morning peaks can take up to six hours due to the expected congestion.
“New ETS train is fun, but not sure if will do this again,” posted Ms Kerryn Lee, a Penangite currently based in Singapore.
She documented on Instagram how she took the northbound ETS from JB Sentral on the second day it opened for service, and it took her 7.5 hours to reach KL after starting her cross-border journey from Bugis in Singapore.
Revisiting the HSR
In its original form, the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR was to complete the non-stop journey from Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to Jurong East in Singapore, after passing Iskandar Puteri in Johor, in no more than 90 minutes.
This 90-minute cross-border journey time is guaranteed as all immigration or customs formalities will be completed before the passenger boards the train, whether in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
While not explicitly stated by the project proponent, the alignment and infrastructure that allows the 90-minute non-stop journey also allows those from Kuala Lumpur to reach Iskandar Puteri in a mere two hours, even after the train stops at Sepang-Putrajaya (near Bangi), Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, and Batu Pahat.
With the HSR, it is entirely possible to live in Seremban and reach Kuala Lumpur in well under 30 minutes daily, showing that the benefits of HSR flow in many ways, and not just towards those heading to Singapore.
Mr Samuel Tan, chief executive of Johor-based Olive Tree Property Consultants, a boutique property consultancy, said there is still ample room for the cross-border HSR.
“The HSR competes not with the bus or the ETS, but with air travel (KL International Airport to Changi) and private cars for business and affluent leisure travellers. A six-hour door-to-door journey via ETS+RTS is not a competitive product for that segment.
“We can frame this as a tale of two futures for cross-border rail. One future is incremental, where the ETS+RTS link is a major practical upgrade that solves specific problems, such as decongesting the Causeway,” said Mr Tan, who argued that it is important to keep an eye on the “other future”, which is transformational.
“The HSR remains the visionary project that redefines the economic and social geography of the peninsula. Its business case hinges on capturing the high-value, time-sensitive traffic that will never be satisfied by a six-hour, multistage journey.
“The new ETS timing does not kill the HSR dream. It simply clarifies that the dream is about something much bigger than just moving trains faster on existing tracks. It is about creating a new, seamless geographic reality. The ongoing congestion at the border, even with the RTS, will be a constant reminder of the problem the HSR has been designed to solve,” he said.
One such example is the 450m walkway from JB Sentral to the RTS station.
“While not extreme, it adds a layer of inconvenience, especially with luggage, or for the elderly. It is a friction point that true seamless travel seeks to eliminate. The reality actually underscores HSR’s unique value proposition, which moves the discussion beyond speed comparisons to the more fundamental concepts of seamlessness, predictability and passenger experience,” Mr Tan said.
For Mr T.C. Chew, a rail expert with Arup – a global engineering consultancy specialising in design, engineering, architecture, planning, and advisory services for the built environment – the time savings of HSR is already well proven.
“With the current journey time, the ETS simply cannot facilitate a daily cross-border workforce, which is where the economic value lies,” said Mr Chew, who is Arup’s managing director for the Asia-Pacific region.
“KTMB’s legacy alignment and operations cater to mixed traffic, with faster operations being checked by a mix of slower cargo, Komuter, and regional services.”
Experts also note that KTMB’s network often passes through old towns with limited space for sizeable new developments, while the proposed HSR stations will be located slightly away from mature areas to spread development more equitably, with the intent of attracting high-value or cutting-edge industries in ways old towns cannot accommodate.
In its original proposal, the HSR was to pass through high-growth areas such as Seremban (Labu), Ayer Keroh, Muar, and Batu Pahat, along with Iskandar Puteri.
“Taking the big picture into account, the ETS cannot deliver the ‘time is money’ efficiency required to replace short-haul flights or integrate the two national economies the way the HSR would be able to,” Mr Chew added. THE STAR / ASIA NEWS NETWORK
