The Government of Malaysia will introduce a new electric train service between Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur starting December 12, 2025, reducing travel times to roughly 3.5–4.5 hours. The service will be officially launched a day earlier in Johor Bahru by the King of Malaysia and Sultan of Johor, Ibrahim ibni Iskandar.
According to the Ministry of Transport, initial operations will focus on the Johor Bahru–Kuala Lumpur route, with longer-distance services to Butterworth and Padang Besar to be introduced in later phases. The expanded network is expected to operate 12 daily trips, including eight on the Kuala Lumpur–Johor Bahru section, two between Johor Bahru and Padang Besar, and two between Johor Bahru and Butterworth. The electric train, capable of speeds up to 140 km/hr, forms part of an upgrade of Malaysia’s metre-gauge rail system and follows earlier operations launched between KL Sentral and Kluang in August 2025.
The project, developed by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd, has been under construction since 2016, covering corridors such as Johor Bahru, Segamat, Kluang and Kulai. For Singapore-based travellers, the service will improve cross-border connectivity, especially once the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link is completed in 2026.
