Electric Rail Line Promising Fast Johor Bahru-North Malaysia Connection Hits New Challenge

Published on November 4, 2024

Plans to gradually expand the existing rail line, which starts at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Padang Besar and extends south through Gemas, are facing challenges in the Segamat district of Johor.

The electrified double-track rail project from Gemas to Johor Bahru (Gemas-JB EDTP) aims to cut travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru by connecting with the existing Padang Besar-Gemas line. However, the project has encountered another setback, missing its latest completion date.

Efforts to gradually expand the line, which begins at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Padang Besar and runs southward through Gemas, have faced delays in Johor’s Segamat district. Segamat is intended to be the first station in a new 11-stop route through key areas in the southern state, including Kluang and Kulai, ending in Johor Bahru.

The electric train service (ETS) on the 26-kilometer segment from Gemas to Segamat was initially expected to launch in July and later rescheduled to October. Unfortunately, it has now missed its second deadline.

Upon launch, this segment will mark the initial phase of the Gemas-JB Electrified Double Track Project (EDTP), a venture projected at RM9.5 billion (S$2.8 billion).

The latest setback stems from challenges with the electricity supply required for train operations, according to information obtained by The Straits Times.

A project official confirmed that the team is focused on completing the final phase of testing the train’s electrification system, which led to the October deadline being missed.

YTL Construction, in partnership with SIPP Rail, is responsible for constructing the Gemas-JB rail link.

A government insider revealed to The Straits Times that the ongoing delay stems from YTL Construction’s challenges in finalizing the technical work on the electric feeder line at Genuang Railway Station in Segamat, which has stalled the energizing of the overhead line.

A feeder line typically transmits high-voltage power from the main source to feeder stations, where the voltage is reduced before being routed to the railway’s overhead system that powers electric trains.

According to a source, around 95 percent of track-laying on the Gemas-JB segment is complete, but ongoing work includes final testing of train electrification.

The 192-kilometer extension project has encountered multiple delays. Initially launched in 2017 with an anticipated finish in October 2021, the project has been delayed by over three years due to challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic and land acquisition issues, including disputes with squatters over relocation.

A revised completion target is now set for April 2025. Both YTL Corporation and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) have not provided responses to The Straits Times’ inquiries regarding these delays.

The ETS is part of the expansive EDTP initiative announced in 2011 to modernize the KTM single-track line on Malaysia’s west coast with new double-track, electrified rails.

The project is managed by Malaysia’s railway operator, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM).

Originally introduced during Najib Razak’s tenure as prime minister, the EDTP line has garnered less public attention compared to the East Coast Rail Link connecting Kuala Lumpur to Kelantan and the KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail. Still, government officials regard the EDTP, which will phase out diesel trains in favor of electric ones, as a significant initiative.

In March 2023, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the state government agreed that the Gemas-JB EDTP should remain a priority project, alongside the JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link.

The Gemas-JB EDTP segment completes the electrified train network, enhancing freight rail capacity between Malaysia’s Port Klang and the Port of Tanjung Pelapas, easing travel between Johor Bahru and central Johor’s urban areas, and potentially driving urban development, according to a July 2020 report by researchers at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Experts suggest that together with the RTS Link, the Gemas-JB rail project could serve as an alternative to the debated KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail, as both aim to improve connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The upcoming ETS service will complement the RTS Link, set to launch by January 2027, enhancing overall travel options. According to KTM, this electrified service will cut travel time from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur to approximately 4.5 hours, significantly faster than the current seven-hour journey by diesel train.

By comparison, driving the same distance between Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur would take around four hours without any breaks.

Upon completion of the electric rail line in 2025, KTM projects that the service will accommodate around 3,000 passengers daily on the JB-KL route. During the first ten months of 2024, 63,607 passengers used the existing diesel train service on the Gemas-JB line.