A train stopping at a KTMB railway station in Kuala Lipis, Pahang
Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) or the Malayan Railway is the main railway system in Peninsular Malaysia. It was formerly run by the Malayan Railway Administration, but since corporatisation in 1991 has been run by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM Bhd or KTMB), which is wholly owned by the Federal Government. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. Fares are generally reasonable, but the slow speed of trains on the ageing narrow-gauge tracks does not usually make them competitive with aeroplane or even coach travel.
There are two main routes from Singapore through the Malay Peninsula into Thailand, the eastern and the western line. The main western track starting from Singapore passes through Johor Bahru, Gemas, Seremban, KL Sentral (Kuala Lumpur), Ipoh and Butterworth (the connection point for Penang) before continuing onto Hat Yai in Thailand. The eastern "jungle line" separates from the western track at Gemas, crossing the mountainous backbone of Malaysia to Wakaf Bharu (near Kota Bharu) and Tumpat. There are no direct through trains to Thailand, but the border and Thai terminus of Sungei Kolok is not far away.
Since corporatisation of KTMB a programme of modernisation has been underway, but the ambitious project of electrifying and double-tracking the entire western line has been put on hold until further notice by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.
Other Malaysian train services
The KLIA Ekspres airport link service between KLIA and KL Sentral is operated by the private company Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd.
The railway played a very important part in the development of the country and is very much part of our history and heritage," says Paiman Keromo, antiquities director of the Museums and Antiquities Depart-ment.
The railways in fact preceded roads as a means of transport in peninsular Malaysia during the early days of the 20th century.
The most imposing part of the Ipoh station is the concrete three-storey building which houses the railway administrative offices, as well as the Majestic Station Hotel, which occupies the mezzanine and upper floors.
Having been introduced to Malayanrailways in 1930 on a batch of 4-6-4 tank locomotives and applied in 1932 to the final batch of Class 55 locomotives, RC valve gear utilised poppet valves instead of slide or piston valves to control the admission and exhaust of steam to-and-from the engine cylinders.
Two others are rusting quietly away, serving sadly as railway station decorations, poignant reminders of the glory days of steam, and hardly noticed by passengers passing through on the modern, air-conditioned express trains.
The venerable railway station building and land have been sold to Singaporean developers and international passenger trains now arrive at and depart from a new facility in Woodlands in the northern part of the island.
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