Grand colonial-era stations and lush tropical countryside are among the attractions from the 1800km rail journey from Singapore to Bangkok – arguably among the best train journeys in Southeast Asia. The downside? The only direct service between the two may be the luxury Eastern and Oriental Express, costing $5000 for any two-night package.
But, by changing trains and spending an evening in both Malaysia's capital Kl or the charming mid-Peninsular town of Ipoh, you'll be able to complete this classic trip for as little as US$67. Here's how you can do-it-yourself.
Stage 1: Singapore to Johor Bahru
When Singapore split from Malaysia in 1965 the latter's national railway, KTMB, retained charge of the corridor of land on which the tracks ran over the Causeway from Johor Bahru to the Singapore terminus at Tanjong Pagar. This year, the neighbouring countries agreed a land swap deal that saw the Singapore terminus shift to Woodlands within the north from the island.
Singapore's old Tanjong Pagar Station, protected as a national monument, is definitely an elegant 1932 building sporting a striking design by Serbian architect D S Petrovitch with both art deco and neoclassical flourishes. The site is currently being redeveloped as Cantonment MRT station on the new Circle Line, set to spread out in 2025. Within the construction site barriers you are able to glimpse the heroic relief sculptures around the station facade representing agriculture, industry, commerce and transport
Functional Woodland Train Checkpoint (also referred to as Woodlands CIQ) hardly compares, therefore the banning of photography here's no great disappointment. It's just SING$5 for the five-minute shuttle over the 1.5km Causeway to Johor Bahru. Avoid travelling around the weekend and you ought to breeze through immigration and customs checks at Woodlands. The KTMB shuttle appears quaintly old-fashioned along with a bit scruffy after Singapore's modern MRT trains. However, the staff are friendly and happy to pose for photos.
Stage 2: Johor Bharu to Kuala Lumpur
Singapore could be pricey, so cheaper Johor Bahru makes an ideal base for the first night of this journey if you're on a tight budget. Book into the Replacement Lodge & Kitchen, housed within the historic shophouses which have been spruced up around Jln Dhoby. This can also give you a opportunity to sample Johor Bahru's great selection of street food or peruse the fashionable cafes in the heritage district.
Johor Bahru's old art deco 1930s stop (signposted as a museum, but actually closed) stands within the hulking shadow of Johor Bahru Sentral, opened in 2010 included in Malaysia's ongoing programme of upgrading its railway infrastructure. Electrification from the line has yet to reach Johor Bahru, so for that first 192km to Gemas you'll be riding on some of the oldest rolling stock around the KTMB system. Bring plenty of warm clothing as the air-conditioning about this and also the subsequent modern ETS trains up the peninsula is placed to Arctic temperatures.
The 9.15am to Gemas arrives at 1.30pm, allowing the required time to stretch your legs within this small junction town and grab lunch before boarding the 3.10pm ETS service to Kl (coming to 5.34pm). This service also continues onto Ipoh (arriving 20.17pm) should you choose to overnight there instead. Monotonous views of palm oil plantations predominate along this section of the journey. However, there are some attractive jungle-clad hills around Seremban, 70km southeast of Kuala Lumpur.
