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Taking the train is the safe, comfortable, cheap and traditional way to travel independently between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang & Bangkok.  It's environmentally-friendly, too, compared to unnecessary short haul flights.  Singapore-Kuala Lumpur takes 6 hours on one of two modern daytime trains or 8 hours on a time-effective overnight sleeper train, from just $9 or £5 one-way.  Singapore to Bangkok is a wonderful 1,249 mile overland journey, it takes about 48 hours including an afternoon free in KL and a morning spent in Penang, departures are daily, and it costs a bargain £33 ($50) one-way including comfortable sleeping-berths with fresh clean sheets.  You change trains at Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth (Penang), and of course you can stop off to see Kuala Lumpur or Penang as long as you like, or catch the ferry to Ko Samui or the bus to Phuket or Krabi. You leave from the faded colonial grandeur of Singapore's 1932 art deco mainline station, rumble slowly over the famous causeway and on into Malaysia, over a railway built by the British and mainly single-track, past palm plantations and jungle.  In Kuala Lumpur, trains now use the modern KL Sentral station, but those going north from KL still pass through the famous old Moorish-style station.  Trains in Malaysia & Thailand run on metre-gauge track, narrower than European standard gauge. This page will explain everything you need to know, including train times, fares, what the trains are like, and how to buy tickets.

On this page... Train times, Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - Penang - Bangkok Train times, Singapore or KL - Khota Bahru (Jungle Line) Fares How to buy tickets What are Malaysian trains like? How to get to:  Malacca , Langkawi, Perhentian Islands, Cameron Highlands Singapore railway station information KL airport link     KL railway station London to Singapore overland Accommodation in Singapore & Malaysia Flights to Singapore or Malaysia

Above:  Forget planes and buses.  Take the train, put your feet up, enjoy the ride.  This photo shows the 1st class seats on a Kuala Lumpur to Singapore daytime train, just 68 Ringgit (£12 or $21) one way.  Getting a bit worn & grubby these days perhaps, but very comfortable and far more of an experience than flying everywhere.  Photo courtesy Willy Kaemena.

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Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - Penang - Bangkok

The train trip from Singapore to Bangkok is 1,946 km or 1,249 miles and involves 2 or 3 separate train rides, depending on where you want to stop off and change trains.  I'd recommend stopping off at Kuala Lumpur and Penang, both fascinating cities.  So stage 1 is to take a train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, choose between two modern air-conditioned daytime trains or an overnight sleeper train.  Stage 2 is from KL to Butterworth (linked by frequent ferry to Penang), with a choice of two daytime trains or an overnight sleeper.  Stage 3 is to take the 'International Express' leaving Butterworth at lunchtime and arriving in Bangkok next morning.  It's entirely up to you whether you do this journey all in one go in 48 hours or stop off and see places on the way, as each train is booked and ticketed separately.  All 3 trains can be booked at any railway station in Malaysia or Singapore, or by email with Malaysian Railways.  There is a detailed map of train routes in Malaysia on the Malaysian Railways website, www.ktmb.com.my.

It's not difficult to read the timetable below!  Each column is a separate train, and you read downwards.  You can buy tickets for any train, between any two stations.  So for example, in the second column you see that train number 2, with 1st & 2nd class seats, running daily, leaves Singapore at 07:45, stops at Johor Bahru, Gemas, Tampin, calls at Kuala Lumpur at 15:03, stops at Ipoh and finally arrives at Butterworth (for the Penang Ferry) at 21:50.  You could change trains at KL onto train 10.  Or you could stay on board till Butterworth, stay overnight and catch train 36 to Bangkok next day.  It's up to you...

Singapore ► Kuala Lumpur ► Penang ► Bangkok
Train number: (read the notes below)		4	2	8	10	6	170	36	12
Types of seat & sleeper on board (see the explanation below):		2,3	1,2	F,S,2,3	1,2	1,2	2,3	S	L,S,2
Days of running:		Sats & Suns	daily	daily	daily	daily	daily	daily	daily
Singapore  (Keppel Road station)	depart	-	07:45	-	-	13:30	-	-	22:15
Johor Bahru	depart	-	08:47	-	-	14:30	-	-	23:28
Gemas	arr/dep	-	12:06	18:15	-	17:22	-	-	02:58
Tampin  (for bus or taxi to or from Malacca)	arr/dep	-	12:53	19:00	-	18:18	-	-	04:01
Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral)	arrive	-	15:03	21:10	-	20:35	-	-	06:30
Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral)	depart	09:30	15:03	21:10	23:30	-	-	-	-
Kuala Lumpur (old historic station)	depart	09:34	15:07	21:14	23:34	-	-	-	-
Ipoh  (for bus to Cameron Highlands)	arr/dep	12:30	18:11	00:58	02:28	-	-	-	-
Butterworth  (linked by frequent ferry with Penang)	arrive	17:10	21:50	05:03**	06:35	-	-	-	-
Butterworth  (linked by frequent ferry with Penang)	depart	-	-	05:03**	-	-	-	13:45	-
Alor Setar  (for Kuala Kedah & Langkawi ferry)	arr/dep	-	-	07:31	-	-	-	16:47	-
Arau  (for Kuala Perlis & Langkawi ferry)	arr/dep	-	-	08:10	-	-	-	17:21	-
Padang Besar (Thai frontier)	arrive	-	-	08:50	-	-	-	18:14	-
Hat Yai  (for bus to Phuket or Krabi) (Thai time)	arrive	-	-	09:35*	-	-	-	18:20	-
Hat Yai	depart	-	-	-	-	-	14:35	18:45	-
Surat Thani  (for ferry to Ko Samui & Koh Tao):	arrive	-	-	-	-	-	20:02	23:17	-
Chumphon  (for ferry to Koh Tao):	arrive	-	-	-	-	-	-	02:32	-
Hua Hin	arrive	-	-	-	-	-	-	05:47	-
Nakhon Pathom  (for train to River Kwai)	arrive	-	-	-	-	-	-	08:18	-
Bangkok Hualamphong Station	arrive	-	-	-	-	-	-	09:55	-

Key to classes:

L = Deluxe sleeper (Premier Night Deluxe), 1 or 2-bed compartments with private shower & toilet, air-conditioned.

F = 1st class sleepers (Premier Night Standard), 2-bed compartments with washbasin.

S = 2nd class sleepers (Superior Night), upper & lower berths with curtains for privacy, air-conditioned.

1 = 1st class seats (Premier).  Quite luxurious, reclining, air-conditioned.

2 = 2nd class seats (Superior).  Comfortable, air-conditioned.

3 = 3rd class seats (Economy).  Modern & fairly comfortable, but basic.

* = Only one 2nd class sleeper & seats car runs to/from Hat Yai.  The 1st class sleepers only run between Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth & Padang Besar.

** = This train doesn't call at Butterworth, this is the time is calls at Bukit Mertajam, a small station about 11 miles from Butterworth by bus or taxi.

All times shown in local time (remember that Thailand is 1 hour behind Malaysian time!).  Customs & passport formalities leaving Singapore.

Please check times before you travel at www.ktmb.com.my, as they change from time to time.  See notes by train number below.

Quick links:  Fares   How to buy tickets   Map of train routes in Southeast Asia   Weekly luxury train Singapore-Bangkok   Hotel accommodation

Bangkok ► Penang ► Kuala Lumpur ► Singapore
Train number:  (see notes below)		35	41	7	9	5	1	3	11
Types of seat & sleeper on board (see explanation above)		S	2	F,S,2,3	1,2	1,2	1,2	2,3	L,S,2
Days of running:		daily	daily	daily	daily	daily	daily	Sats & Suns	daily
Bangkok  (Hualamphong Station)	depart	14:45	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nakon Pathom  (for River Kwai train)	depart	16:09	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hua Hin	depart	18:24	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chumphon (for ferry from Koh Tao)	depart	22:00	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Surat Thani  (for Ko Samui & Koh Tao)	depart	00:51	08:11	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hat Yai	arrive	06:18	12:27	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hat Yai  (bus connection from Phuket or Krabi)	depart	06:50	-	16:30*	-	-	-	-	-
Padang Besar (Malaysian frontier)	depart	07:55	-	16:50	-	-	-	-	-
Arau (for Kuala Perlis & Langkawi ferry)	arr/dep	10:40	-	17:26	-	-	-	-	-
Alor Setar (for Kuala Kedah & Langkawi ferry)	arr/dep	11:27	-	18:07	-	-	-	-	-
Butterworth  (linked by ferry with Penang)	arrive	13:51	-	20:39**	-	-	-	-	-
Butterworth  (linked by ferry with Penang)	depart	-	-	20:39**	23:30	-	07:45	10:00	-
Ipoh  (for bus to or from Cameron Highlands)	arr/dep	-	-	00:59	03:39	-	11:04	14:25	-
Kuala Lumpur (old historic station)	arrive	-	-	04:45	06:35	-	13:55	17:26	-
Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral)	arrive	-	-	04:50	06:40	-	14:03	17:30	-
Kuala Lumpur (KL Sentral)	depart	-	-	04:50	-	08:25	14:03	-	22:30
Tampin  (for bus or taxi to or from Malacca)	arr/dep	-	-	07:19	-	10:34	16:35	-	01:05
Gemas	arr/dep	-	-	08:10	-	11:24	17:25	-	02:06
Johor Bahru	arrive	-	-	-	-	14:37	20:45	-	06:34
Singapore  (Keppel Road station)	arrive	-	-	-	-	16:05	22:00	-	08:20

Singapore station is in Keppel Road in east Singapore, nearest MRT (metro) station Tanjong Pagar.  Location map.  MRT (metro) map.  Advance warning:  The old historic Singapore station is due to be closed by July 2011, and trains transferred to a new station at Woodlands, see here.

Butterworth is the station for Penang, on the mainland opposite Georgetown on Penang Island.  Frequent ferries sail to Penang, taking 15 minutes.

For connecting ferries to Langkawi Island, see below.

For connections to Ko Samui, Phuket, Krabi, Kanchanaburi & River Kwai Bridge, Chiang Mai, see the Thailand page.

Quick links:   Fares    How to buy tickets    Map of train routes in Southeast Asia    Weekly luxury train Singapore-Bangkok

This timetable shows all the trains between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth & Hat Yai, but there are lots more trains between Hat Yai , Surat Thani, Chumphon, Hua Hin & Bangkok, see the Bangkok to southern Thailand section, Thailand page.  For the luxury Singapore-Bangkok Eastern & Oriental Express, see below.  There are also now a few additional shuttle trains between KL & Ipoh.

Notes by train number...

Above:  In contrast to a meaningless flight, or a bus journey along an eyesore of a motorway built in the 1990s, the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur train ride takes you over the famous causeway, past lush green palm plantations and little wayside colonial railway stations, along the old Federated Malay States Railway...

Train 1 & 2:  Ekspress Rakyat.  Singapore-Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth (Penang) express, runs daily.  1st & 2nd class seats with buffet car serving snacks and light meals, refreshment trolley.

Train 3 & 4:  Ekspress Sinaran.  Sats & Suns only.  Refreshments available.  Economy & 2nd class, no 1st class.

Train 5 & 6:  Ekspress Sinaran Patang.  Singapore-Kuala Lumpur express, runs daily.  1st & 2nd class seats  with trolley refreshments.

Train 7 & 8:  Express Langkawi.  Gemas-Kuala Lumpur-Hat Yai daily.  No longer calls at Butterworth.  Most of this train only runs between Gemas, Kuala Lumpur & Padang Besar on the Thai frontier (1st & 2nd class sleepers, 2nd & 3rd class seats), but one 2nd class sleeping-car (Malaysian) & a 2nd class seat car runs direct to/from Hat Yai in Thailand.  See the sleeper photos below.  If you want to travel by 1st class sleeper to Hat Yai, you will need to transfer to the 2nd class seats at Padang Besar.

Train 9 & 10: Express Senandung Utara:  Daily KL-Butterworth (Penang) overnight train.  This train is not recommended as it has no sleepers, just 1st & 2nd class sit-up-all-night seats.  For overnight travel between KL & Penang travel, you are advised to take train 7 or 8 (Ekspress Langkawi, with sleepers) between KL and Bukit Mertajam.  Although train 7/8 doesn't call at Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam is about 11 miles from Butterworth by bus or taxi.

Train 11 & 12  Ekspress Senendung Malam:  Daily Singapore-Kuala Lumpur overnight sleeper train.  Deluxe 1&2 berth sleepers with shower/toilet, 2nd class sleepers, 2nd class seats, all air-conditioned.  See the sleeper photos below or watch the video.

Train 35 & 36: International Express (Ekspress Antarabangsa).  Butterworth (Penang)-Bangkok daily.  Check the exact times locally, as there is a small discrepancy between Thai & Malay railway websites.  The International Express consists of clean and comfortable air-conditioned 2nd class sleepers direct between Butterworth & Bangkok.  Between Hat Yai and Bangkok, it also has a restaurant car, a 1st class sleeping-car (2-bed compartments) and additional 2nd class sleepers.   Train provided by State Railways of Thailand - see the photos below.  If you want to travel by 1st class sleeper, you will need to use 2nd class sleepers (in daytime mode) between Butterworth & Hat Yai, then use 1st class sleepers for the overnight section between Hat Yai & Bangkok.  This works going south, as both legs can be reserved in Bangkok, but is problematic going north, as Hat Yai to Bangkok berths cannot be reserved at Malaysian railway stations, and may be full if you just turn up and approach the sleeper attendant at Hat Yai.  2nd class sleepers are clean and comfortable, I'd advise sticking with those.

Train 41 & 42:  Hat Yai-Surat Thani fast air-conditioned railcar with 2nd class reclining seats.  Actually goes to/from Bangkok, but not recommended for Bangkok passengers as it has no sleepers.

Train 170:  rapid train, 2nd & 3rd class non-air-con.

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Malacca (Melaka)...

Malacca is well worth a day's visit, as it has some of the oldest colonial buildings in SE Asia.  Pictured right:  The Stadthuys (town hall), church and clock tower on Malacca's main square.

• Kuala Lumpur to Malacca:  Malacca is not on the rail network, but modern buses run from the main bus station in Kuala Lumpur every hour, taking about 3 hours and costing about 8 Ringgit one-way.  Alternatively, take a train from KL to Tampin station (see the train timetable above), then take a bus or taxi from there (38 km).  A taxi from Tampin to Malacca costs between 40 & 60 Ringgit (£8 to £13 or $11 to $19).

• Singapore to Malacca:  There are regular buses from Singapore to Malacca taking about 5½ hours.  Alternatively, take a train from Singapore to Tampin station (see the train timetable above), then take a bus or taxi from there (38 km).  A taxi from Tampin to Malacca costs between 40 & 60 Ringgit (£8 to £13 or $11 to $19).

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Langkawi island...

• From Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi:  Take the overnight 'Langkawi Express' sleeper train from Kuala Lumpur to either Alor Setar or Arau, see the train timetable above.  There is little to choose between the Alor Setar or Arau options.  From Alor Setar it's a short bus ride or Ringgit 15 taxi ride to the ferry terminal at Kuala Kedah.  www.langkawi-ferry.com sails from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi every 30 minutes between 07:00 & 19:00, no advance reservation necessary.  Sailing time is 1 hour 30 mins, the fare is Ringgit 23 each way.  If you decide to go via Arau, it's a short taxi ride to the ferry terminal at Kuala Perlis, which is slightly closer to Langkawi than Kuala Kedah.  www.langkawi-ferry.com sails from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi about every 30 minutes between 07:00 & 19:00, sailing time 1 hour 15 mins, fare Ringgit 18 each way, no advance reservation necessary.

• From Singapore to Langkawi:  Take the morning train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, spend the afternoon in KL, then take the overnight sleeper train from KL to Alor Setar or Arau and follow the instructions above for travel from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi.

• From Bangkok or southern Thailand to Langkawi:  Take the International Express from Bangkok or Hat Yai to Arau, small station just across the border into Malaysia, see the train timetable above.  From Arau, it's a short taxi ride to the ferry jetty at Kuala Perlis.  www.langkawi-ferry.com sails from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi about every 30 minutes between 07:00 & 19:00, sailing time 1 hour 15 mins, fare Ringgit 18 each way, no advance reservation necessary.

• From Penang to Langkawi:  www.langkawi-ferry.com operates a daily fast ferry direct from Penang to Langkawi island, leaving at 08:15 and taking 2 hour 45 minutes.  The fare is about 60 Ringgit (£13 or $17) one way, children 3-11 45 Ringgit, children under 3 free.  The return departure from Langkawi to Penang is at 17:15.  For times, fares and online booking, see www.langkawi-ferry.com.  This ferry is the best option if you want to go to/from Penang itself.

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Perhentian Islands...

The Perhentian Islands are relatively undeveloped islands off Malaysia's north eastern coast, excellent for scuba diving.  The ideal way to reach the Perhentians is by overnight sleeper train from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, taxi transfer then ferry:

• Take the overnight sleeper train from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore to either Tanah Merah or Wakaf Bahru stations, see the Jungle Line section for train times.  The train fare is about 54 Ringgit (£11 or $18) including a 2nd class sleeper.  The overnight train from KL has both 2nd class sleepers and 1st class 2-berth sleepers, the overnight train from Singapore just has 2nd class sleepers, but even 2nd class sleepers are comfortable, air-conditioned and perfectly adequate.  Taking the sleeper train saves a hotel bill, is an experience in itself, and can even save time compared to flying.

• Take a taxi from Tanah Merah or Wakaf Bahru to the main ferry port at Kuala Besut.  Local taxis will be waiting for the train at either station, the taxi fare is 50 Ringgit (£10 or $15), the journey time about 50 minutes from Wakaf Bahru or 30 minutes from Tanah Merah.

• Speedboats from Kuala Besut take about 30 minutes to reach the Perhentian islands, and depart 4-5 times daily 09:00-17:00 according to demand.  The fare is about 60 Ringgit (£10/$20)return.  There are also slow boats which leave Kuala Besut at 08:30 and 14:30, taking 1.5 hours, fare about 40 Ringgit return.  There's another (private) jetty at Tok Bali, but ferries from here are less frequent.

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Cameron Highlands...

There are no trains to the Cameron Highlands, only buses & taxis, but the nearest stations are either Tapah Road or Ipoh.  Ipoh is the better railhead to use, as Tapah Road station is 9km from Tapah town and the Rakyat Ekspress is non-stop (but all trains call at Ipoh).

• Take an express train from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Penang (Butterworth) to Ipoh;

• Take a bus from Ipoh to Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands.  The bus ride takes 3½ hours & costs around RM8 (£1.50).  The buses don't necessarily connect well with the trains, for example the last bus from Ipoh is 6pm, and the Rakyat Express from Singapore & KL might be late.

• Alternatively, a private taxi from Ipoh to Tanah Rata should cost around RM80 (£13) per taxi.

• Feedback from travellers making this connection would be welcome.

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Kuala Lumpur Airport - fast rail link to city centre...

• Malaysian Railways operate the new 'KLIA Ekspres' train service between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station.  It runs every 15 minutes between 05:00 & 01:00 and takes 28 minutes non-stop.  One-way fare is about RM 35, return RM 65.  See www.kliaekspres.com for more information.

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Security concerns in southern Thailand...

If crossing into Thailand, you'll probably be aware of the security concerns in southern Thailand particularly at the eastern end of the frontier around Yala & Sungai Kolok, where (like many parts of the world now, even London or New York) there might be a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time if you were to hang around for any length of time.  Bombs have gone off outside bars and police stations, and the eastern Sungai Kolok-Yala-Hat Yai rail line has been affected on a number of occasions.  However, they aren't targeting western travellers, and the western end of the frontier (through which the main Singapore-KL-Penang-Bangkok rail route passes) isn't nearly as badly affected as the eastern Sungai Kolok end.  I'm no security expert, but it would seem that there are unlikely to be any problems simply passing through a small part of the less-affected area non-stop on board a train using the main Singapore-KL-Penang-Bangkok line via Padang Besar.  However, travellers should always take advice and be aware of the current situation. Seat61.com certainly does not claim to provide current security advice!

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The Jungle Line:  Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to Khota Bharu...

Most people use the main line from Singapore to KL, Penang, and Bangkok, which heads up the west coast of Malaysia.  But there's alternative route up the east coast, through amazing  jungle scenery to Khota Bahru.  It's possible to take this 'Jungle Line' from KL or Singapore to Khota Bahru, then a bus or taxi to the frontier, walk across the border into Thailand to Sungai Kolok railway station, and take a train to Bangkok.  It's worth making the effort to take the daytime 3rd class slow train from Gemas to Khota Bahru (Wakaf Bahru), as the scenery is superb, and the direct trains from Singapore and KL travel at night.  In Gemas, there's a fair hotel just outside the station, and there will be plenty of hotels with rooms to spare in Khota Bahru, even late at night when the train arrives at Wakaf Bahru.

Singapore & Kuala Lumpur ► Khota Bahru
Train type:		Expresses..			Local trains...
Train number (see notes below):		26	16	14	82	92	94	84
Days of operation:		Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily
Classes:		2,3	F,S,2,3	S,2,3	3	3	3	3
Singapore	depart	04:45	-	18:00	-	-	-	-
Johor Bahru	depart	xx:xx	-	18:57	-	-	-	-
Kuala Lumpur	depart	|	20:35	|	-	-	-	-
Tampin (for Malacca)	depart	|	22:43	|	-	-	-	-
Gemas	depart	xx:xx	23:43	22:25	-	06:00	-	-
Kuala Lipis	arr/dep	xx:xx	04:35	03:08	-	10:54	-	-
Gua Musang	arr/dep	15:27	06:06	04:40	07:00	13:42	13:50	16:40
Tanah Merah	arrive	-	08:54	07:18	11:30	-	17:23	20:07
Wakaf Bharu*	arrive	-	09:36	08:05	12:27	-	18:17	21:08
Tumpat	arrive	-	09:46	09:00	12:49	-	19:15	21:25

* Wakaf Bharu is the station for Khota Bharu, about 5 km (3 miles) away, buses & taxis available.  A bus will cost 1 Ringgit, a taxi 10 Ringgits.  Buses (2 Ringgits) & taxis (15 Ringgits) are also available to the Thai frontier at Sungai Kolok, for trains to Bangkok (see the Thailand page for times).  For the Perhentian Islands, get off at either Wakaf Bharu or Tanah Merah for taxis to the port at Kuala Besut or Tok Bali.

xx:xx = exact time to be updated shortly...

Train 14 & 15  Ekspress Timuran.  Daily.  2nd class sleeping-cars, buffet car, 2nd & 3rd class seats.  Air-conditioned.

Train 16 & 17  Ekspress Wau.  Daily.  1st & 2nd class sleepers, 2nd & 3rd class seats.  Air conditioned.

Train 26 & 27  Lambaian Timur:  2nd & 3rd class seats, air-conditioned.  Buffet car.

Trains 81-94:  Daily.  3rd class slow train, much older train with basic seats.  Please double-check the timetable for these trains locally, as it changes from time to time.

Fares    How to buy tickets    Map of train routes in Southeast Asia

Heading into Thailand via the Jungle Line?  Bus 29 runs every half hour from Khota Bahru bus station near the central market to the Thai/Malay border point, fare RM5 (£1).  Walk across the border into Thailand and keep walking straight on for 800m to Sungai Kolok Railway station for the Thai railways trains to Hat Yai, Surat Thani & Bangkok.

Khota Bahru ► Kuala Lumpur & Singapore
Train type:		Expresses...			Local trains...
Train number (see notes below):		27	17	15	81	91	93	83
Days of running:		Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily
Classes:		2,3	F,S,2,3	S,2,3	3	3	3	3
Tumpat	depart	-	18:00	20:30	04:00	06:15	-	13:50
Wakaf Bharu*	depart	-	18:46	20:28	04:18	06:33	-	14:10
Tanah Merah	depart	-	19:27	20:59	05:10	07:31	-	15:09
Gua Musang	arr/dep	09:30	22:00	23:24	08:59	11:18	-	19:45
Kuala Lipis	arr/dep	11:13	23:34	01:00	-	13:15	15:00	-
Gemas	arrive	15:35	03:53	06:03	-	-	19:50	-
Tampin (for Malacca)	arrive	|	05:08	|	-	-	-	-
Kuala Lumpur	arrive	|	07:20	|	-	-	-	-
Johor Bahru	arrive	18:53	-	10:12	-	-	-	-
Singapore	arrive	20:45	-	12:15	-	-	-	-

Traveller's reports - The Jungle Line: Traveller Henrik Meurs took the slow train from Gemas to Wakaf Bahru.  "The trip on the Jungle Railway to Kota Bahru is one of the most beautiful train trips possible.  The scenery can only be described as breathtaking.  There are quite a few stops during the first two or three hours.  After that, villages become rare and the train starts climbing the first flat mountains.  From then on we enjoyed endless views over primary rain forest, large trees interrupted by exuberant plants and monkeys at play. After 4 or 5 hours, when you just start to think that you might have seen all the wonders the Malaysian jungle has to offer, the train enters the mountains.  Words fail me to describe the beauty of the scenery of these two or three hours during which the engine pulls you through the mountains topped with rain-forest, over wooden bridges and through narrow gorges.  The fare was just 21 Ringgit, about $5..!"   Pictured:  Jungle Line scenery.  Photo courtesy of Hendrik Meurs. Unlike the modern Malaysian trains on the direct sleeper trains to/from Singapore and KL, slow train 91/92 is old and basic, but the ride more than makes up for this.  There is plenty of local transport available from Khota Bahru to the Thai frontier at Sungai Kolok.  Train times from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok are shown on the Thailand page under 'Bangkok to Southern Thailand'. Traveller's reports - Butterworth to Bangkok: Traveller Sheena Clowes reports from regular journeys between Singapore, KL, Penang and Bangkok:  I am an older lady who loves to travel alone and overland, so here are some recent pointers for added comfort for these journeys which I have made many times over the past few years, most recently today from Butterworth-Bangkok.  First of all, the Internasional Ekspress (Butterworth-Penang) is late both leaving and arriving around 20% of the time.  Be prepared for it, not stressed by it.  For instance, it left yesterday at 15.45 instead of 14.20, and arrived in Bangkok at just before 2pm today.  But even with my delaying for a cup of good coffee at the station in Bangkok, I was checking into my hotel at 2.45pm - I wouldn't be checking into a city-centre hotel 45 minutes after landing at Bangkok international airport, would I!? Take some water and a light snack - biscuits, maybe - for the first few hours of the Internasional Ekspress when there is no restaurant car. If you forget, you can get food at the bus station just a short distance from the train station, or if you are coming from Georgetown, at the stalls at the jetty there.  The Internasional Ekspress carries local passengers without reservations between the first station after Butterworth to the last station before Thailand, and all stations in between, so don't spread your belongings out too much, you will end up with them all on your lap soon enough!  If you travel on the newer 2nd class sleepers - the ones made by Daewoo in South Korea - there are two washbasins outside the toilets, very handy for cleaning teeth etc in the morning. There is also usually hot drinking water available at the end of the 2nd class sleeper for making tea, instant noodles, re-heating baby food etc.  In the centre of these coaches there is an electricity point where you can recharge your phone. Make friends with the people sitting there, to keep an eye on it,  and only take as long as you need (it doesn't need to be fully charged for a quick phone call) as other people need to charge their phones, too. The lower berth on the Internasional Ekspress's newer 2nd class sleepers offers an unprecedented (in my experience) amount of space as it is a full metre wide. The size of the berth, and the way the curtains hang around them, and their length, means that even an arthritic old woman like me can change clothes in privacy and rearrange her overnight case. I find that lying along the length of the carriage in this type of berth much more conducive to a sound night's sleep that lying across the width of it, as is often the case in sleepers.  If you like to read in bed, take a booklight or head torch, and that if you need pitch darkness for sleeping, take  some sort of eyeshade. You only get one pillow per berth, so fold up some soft clothing if you like your head higher.  Spare pillows are not carried, so if all berths are full there will be none to spare. The cotton blanket that you are issued with is freshly-laundered and I find gives just the right degree of cosiness when wearing a T-shirt and cotton trousers.  Some people are too cold - the air-conditioning is fairly fierce - and need to put on more clothes to keep warm!  If you don't want an Asian breakfast or a rather strange Western breakfast, you can just buy a cup of coffee for 20 baht. It's instant but good and hot and strong, just the ticket with a couple of Malaysian "breakfast biscuits" and a carton of yoghurt you bought the previous day in Butterworth or Georgetown.  The food offered by the "Bogie Restaurant" (orders taken after crossing the border; dinner is served after Hat Yai and breakfast at whatever reasonable hour people are getting up) is generally very good if you like Thai food. The restlessness of the southern provinces of Thailand is evidenced by the armed guards on the train overnight and a policeman patrols the sleeper coaches randomly through the night - in stocking feet!  However, I have never been aware of any problems in the border areas while I have been travelling.

Malaysian rail fares are very cheap, and some key fares are shown below.  You can check fares on the KTM website, www.ktmb.com.my - note that Kuala Lumpur is listed under 'S' as 'Sentral Kuala Lumpur'!  KTM now calls 1st class 'Premier' and 2nd class 'Superior'.

One-way in Ringgits:	3rd class seat	2nd class seat	1st class seat	2nd class sleeper	1st class sleeper	Deluxe sleeper, shower & WC
Singapore - Bangkok:	The cost of a Singapore to Bangkok journey is the sum of the fares from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, KL to Butterworth, Butterworth to Bangkok.
Singapore - Kuala Lumpur *	-	RM 34  (£7, $10)	RM 68 (£14, $21)	RM 43  (£9, $13)	RM 86 (£18, $25)	RM 131 (£27, $40) sharing, RM 180 (£37, $55) sole occupancy.
Singapore - Butterworth (Penang) *	-	RM 60  (£12, $18)	RM 127 (£26, $38)	-	-	-
Butterworth (Penang) - Bangkok:	-	-	-	RM 112 (£23, $34)	-	-
Butterworth (Penang) - Surat Thani:	-	-	-	RM 101 (£21, $30)	-	-
Kuala Lumpur - Butterworth (Penang):	RM 17 (£4, $5)	RM 34 (£7, $10)	RM 67 (£14, $20)	RM 43 (£9, $13)	RM 85 (£18, $26)	-
Kuala Lumpur - Hat Yai:	-	RM 44 (£9, $13)	-	RM 57 (£12, $17)	-	-
Kuala Lumpur - Tumpat / W. Bharu:	RM 29 (£6, $9)	RM 39 (£8, $12)	-	RM 52 (£11, $16)	RM 106 (£22, $32)	-
Singapore - Tumpat / Wakaf Bharu:	RM 30 (£6, $10)	RM 41 (£9, $12)	-	RM 54 (£11, $16)	-	-

* If your ticket starts in Singapore, or is bought or collected at the station in Singapore, read the paragraph below.

Children aged 0 to 3 travel free, children aged 4 to 11 travel at half fare, children aged 12 and over pay full fare.

Over 60?  There is a 50% discount on Malaysian inter-city train fares for anyone aged over 60, including foreigners.

When checking fares or booking online at www.ktmb.com.my, classes and class codes are as follows:

AFC = 1st class seats (also known as "Premier")

ASC = 2nd class seats (also known as "Superior")

AEC = 3rd class seats (also known as "Economy")

ADNS = 2nd class sleeper (also known as "Superior Night")

2PLUS = 1st class sleeper (also known as "Premier Night Standard")

ADNF = deluxe 'Selesa' sleeper with private shower & toilet (also known as "Premier Night Deluxe")

Tickets bought in Singapore are double the price shown above...

A strange (you might say unfair) quirk of the system is that for historical (and presumably now financial) reasons, tickets bought in Singapore must be paid for in Singapore dollars, but at the Ringgit amount.  In plain English, if the fare is 34 Ringgits, you'll be charged 34 Singapore dollars if you buy it in Singapore, even though 34 Ringgit is £7 ($10) whereas S$34 is £17 ($24)!  Crazy, eh?!  This also applies to tickets for journeys starting in Singapore booked online using the e-ticketing facility on www.ktmb.com.my and to tickets booked through the Malaysian Railways call centre and collected in Singapore.  In fact, if you book online it's even more confusing, as the online system converts the Singapore dollar amount back into Ringgits again, having taken the 34 Ringgit fare, read it as 34 Singapore dollars, converted the S$34 back into 82 Ringgits and so (at current exchange rates) it charges you 82 Ringgits for a 34 Ringgit fare.  For most westerners this is not an insurmountable problem as the fares are so cheap anyway. £7 becoming £17 won't have a huge impact on a £1,000 holiday.  But here are some tips to avoid paying more than you have to:

• Tip number 1, if want to make a return journey from Singapore to KL, book this as two separate one-way trips so at least the return leg will be charged in Ringgits.  If you booked it as a return, both legs of a return ticket starting in Singapore would be charged in Singapore dollars.  But a one-way ticket starting in Malaysia is charged in Ringgits.

• Tip number 2, if you book your trains by email or phone with Malaysian Railways, collect the Singapore-KL ticket in Singapore (biting the bullet and paying in Singapore dollars), but wait till you get to KL to collect your KL-Penang & Penang-Bangkok tickets so you can pay for them in Ringgits at the Ringgit amount.  If you collect all the tickets in Singapore, you'll have to pay for all of them in Singapore dollars.

• Tip number 3:  For a one-way journey from Singapore to KL in (say) a deluxe sleeper, use the e-ticketing facility on www.ktmb.com.my to book a return journey consisting of a dummy outward trip from KL to Singapore in the cheapest 2nd class seat (which you won't use), then a 'return' leg from Singapore to KL in the deluxe sleeper (which you will use).  This way, it counts as a return journey starting in Malaysia, so you will be charged in Malaysia Ringgits, which in this case will save money compared with paying twice the price for a one-way deluxe sleeper starting in Singapore, even allowing for the cost of the unused seat ticket from KL to Singapore.  It's not really rocket science!

• Some people go to out of their way to avoid paying in Singapore dollars, taking local transport to Johor Bahru (the first station in Malaysia, just North of the causeway from Singapore Island) so they can take the train from there.  But is the hassle really worth it?  Even in Singapore dollars a train ticket to KL is a mere £17/$24, so you're saving only £10/$14 by doing this, and it's a shame to miss out on a classic departure from the historic art-deco 1932-built Singapore station.  This is an experience that won't last for ever, as the historic Singapore station is now due to close by July 2011 so the Singaporeans can build on the land.  It remains to be seen whether the Malaysians will still charge double when trains start from Woodlands, only a short hop from Johor Bahru.

• Before you ask, the e-ticketing system unfortunately won't let you buy a Singapore to Johor Bahru ticket in Singapore dollars, then a Johor Bahru to KL ticket on the same train charged in Ringgits - they've thought of that one!

First class lounges...

Passengers with 1st class tickets (seat or sleeper) can use the VIP First Class Lounge at Singapore station and Kuala Lumpur station.  To find the lounge at KL Sentral, go to the escalators down to the platform but instead take the lift to level 3.  The lounge has seats, a TV and washrooms.

Do I need a reservation? 

Yes, you do.  All long-distance trains in Malaysia are 'reservation compulsory', so you will need a seat or berth reservation for each train you take.  Reservations open 56 days before departure.  The Singapore to Bangkok journey is ticketed as two or three separate journeys, Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth, and Butterworth to Bangkok, or possibly Singapore to Butterworth, Butterworth to Bangkok, depending on how you want to do it.  Each ticket will have the travel date, train number, and your seat or berth number printed on it.

Can I stop off along the way?

Yes, of course!  But you cannot buy an open ticket and randomly hop on and off trains without a reservation.  You must buy a separate ticket (which will include a seat or berth reservation on a specific date on a specific train) for each individual train journey.  So if you want to stop off, simply book each leg of the journey for whatever dates you want.  You can arrange all your tickets in advance or buy them as you go to keep your options open, it's entirely up to you.  Kuala Lumpur and Penang are both well worth a stopover, and you could stop off in Southern Thailand too, enjoying the beaches or maybe taking the ferry to Ko Samui.

What's the best way to buy tickets?

• It's easy to buy train tickets for travel within Singapore & Malaysia either at the station, online at www.ktmb.com.my, or by phone or email to the KTM call centre.  Take your pick!

• Singapore to Bangkok journeys:  The Butterworth to Bangkok 'International Express' cannot be booked online, only by phone or email or at the station, so to pre-arrange a complete northbound Singapore-Bangkok journey either book your Singapore-Kuala Lumpur & Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth trains online at www.ktmb.com.my, then book the Butterworth-Bangkok train by email to the KTM reservations centre, or book all three trains by email to the KTM reservations centre.  Incidentally, if your journey involves the KL to Hat Yai train rather than the Butterworth-Bangkok train, this can be booked online on the KTM website all the way to Hat Yai, but tickets for Thai domestic trains northwards from Hat Yai cannot be booked by the Malaysians, you'll have to buy onward tickets when you get to Hat Yai.

• Bangkok to Singapore journeys:  Returning south from Bangkok to Singapore, trains within or starting in Thailand cannot be booked through Malaysian stations or call centres, as the reservations are held on the Thai reservation computer, not accessible by Malaysian railways.  So book the Bangkok to Butterworth 'International Express' either at the station when you get to Bangkok or through an agency such as Traveller2000 (see the Thailand page).  Then book the Butterworth-KL & KL-Singapore trains either at the station when you get to Butterworth or online in advance using www.ktmb.com.my.

Buying tickets at the station...

You can buy tickets at Singapore station or any railway station in Malaysia, up to 56 days in advance.  KTM has a computerised reservation system, so the ticket offices at Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth or any other Malaysian station (including the KTM ticket office at the Georgetown  ferry terminal on Penang island) can sell tickets and make reservations for any train journey within Malaysia, or starting in Malaysia heading into Thailand, including Butterworth to Bangkok.

Singapore ticket office accepts American Express & Diners Club credit cards, but not Visa or MasterCard.  There's no ATM at Singapore station, the nearest one is a 15-minute walk away, so get cash out beforehand if you need it.  The ticket offices at Kuala Lumpur & Butterworth accept MasterCard & Visa.

Stations in Malaysia & Singapore cannot book seats or berths on trains inside Thailand, nor can they book return journeys from Thailand back to Malaysia, because they cannot access the Thai Railways reservation system.  Just book the return journey from Bangkok to Malaysia when you get to Bangkok, or by email with the State Railways of Thailand or by email with a recommended Thai travel agency such as Traveller2000, as explained on the Thailand page.

You can buy all the tickets you need for a Singapore to Bangkok journey at Singapore station.  However, tickets bought in Singapore will cost almost twice as much as one picked up and paid for in Malaysia, so it is better to buy just your Singapore-Kuala Lumpur ticket at Singapore station, then buy the Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth and Butterworth-Bangkok tickets when you get to Kuala Lumpur.  You can still book the KL to Butterworth and Butterworth to Bangkok trains in advance, using internet or email as shown in the section below. 

Buy tickets online at www.ktmb.com.my...  (direct link to online system: https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket/Login.asp)

You can book Malaysian train tickets online.  Just go to the Malaysian railways (KTM) website www.ktmb.com.my, use the journey planner on their home page to find a train, and on the results page click 'Proceed Purchase Ticket'. (The direct link to their sales system is https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket/Login.asp).  Now book your train(s), you pay by credit card and print the ticket out on your own PC printer, or you can collect the tickets from any KTM railway station, including Singapore.  The www.ktmb.com.my e-ticketing system will book any express train wholly within Singapore & Malaysia, and it can also book the KTM-run international train from KL to Hat Yai in Thailand.  However, it will not book the Thai-run 'International Express' from Butterworth to Bangkok, which you should book either by email or in person at any KTM station, see the next section.  Here are some tips for using the www.ktmb.com.my e-ticketing system:

• Bookings open 56 days in advance.

• Can't find Kuala Lumpur in the list of destinations?  It's shown under 'S' as 'Sentral Kuala Lumpur'..!

• The confusingly-named "Label/slot" field on the booking form allows you to pick your coach (for example, coach 'J1') then when you click 'view' it will show you the available seats or berths in that coach, allowing you to pick one (for example, 5A, 5B, etc). 

• When booking 2nd class sleepers, pick berths in the centre of the car, away from the end doors as these will be quieter, away from the wheels, with no draughts from the door.

• When booking 2nd class sleepers, lower berths are wider than upper ones, which is why they're a fraction more expensive.

• Classes are as shown follows:

  AFC = 1st class seats (also known as "Premier")

  ASC = 2nd class seats (also known as "Superior")

  AEC = 3rd class seats (also known as "Economy")

  ADNS = 2nd class sleeper (also known as "Superior Night")

  2PLUS or ADNFB = 1st class 2-berth sleeper (also known as "Premier Night Standard")

  ADNFD = deluxe 2-berth sleeper with private shower & toilet (also known as "Premier Night Deluxe")

• If you are booking tickets starting in Singapore, read the Tickets bought in Singapore section, as the Singapore dollar fare will apply, converted back into Ringgits.  In other words, a 40 Ringgit fare for a journey starting in Singapore will be costed as 40 Singapore dollars then converted back into Ringgits, in this example about 91 Ringgits.  Crazy, but true...

• If you have any problems with the online system, you can call KTM reservations on +60 3 2267 1200.

Buy tickets by phone or by email, callcenter@ktmb.com.my, +60 (0) 3 2267 1200

If you want to book a sleeper on the International Express from Butterworth to Bangkok, or a complete train journey from Singapore to Bangkok, simply email your booking request to Malaysian Railways reservation office at callcenter@ktmb.com.my, or call the KTM call centre on + 60 3 2267 1200 (calling from outside Malaysia) or 03 2267 1200 (calling from within Malaysia).  You can book your all your trains this way:  Singapore-KL, KL-Butterworth & Butterworth-Bangkok - but please remember that you're not asking for "a Singapore to Bangkok ticket", you're asking for 3 separate tickets on 3 specific trains, each reserved for whatever date you want.  If emailing, make sure your email includes all the details for each of the three trains you need to book for the whole journey from Singapore to Bangkok, including dates and class of travel.  Malaysian Railways will reply with a reference number which you can quote when you pick up and pay for your tickets in Malaysia or Singapore.  Remember that tickets picked up and paid for in Singapore will cost twice as much a those picked up in Malaysia, so it is best to pick up only your Singapore-Kuala Lumpur ticket at Singapore station, then wait until you get to Kuala Lumpur to pick up the remaining tickets so you can pay in Ringgits.

Malaysian Railways can only book the northbound International Express from Butterworth to Bangkok.  A southbound journey from Bangkok to Malaysia must either be booked at Bangkok station when you get there, or booked by email with the State Railways of Thailand or several recommended Thai travel agencies such as Traveller2000, as shown on the Thailand page.

Daytime express trains...

Daytime express trains between Singapore & Kuala Lumpur are modern and air-conditioned.  They have 1st & 2nd class seats, marketed as 'Premier' & 'Standard'.  The trains have a refreshment trolley and buffet car with a very limited selection of drinks and snacks, but it's a good idea to bring your own food and drink along.

1st class (Premier) seats are quite luxurious, although a tad worn now.  They recline & can be rotated to face each other or the direction of travel.		2nd class (Standard) seats are also very comfortable, although they do not recline and cannot be rotated...		The Rakyatt Express from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur & Penang...
Virtual tour - 1st class		Virtual tour - 2nd class		Video Singapore - KL by train

Overnight sleeper trains...

There are overnight sleeper trains between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth (for Penang), Singapore and Tumpat (Khota Bharu), and Kuala Lumpur and Tumpat (Khota Bahru).  These overnight trains have sleepers as well as 2nd class and Economy class seats.  There is a 360° virtual tour of each type of sleeper at www.ktmb.com.my.

2nd class sleepers (Standard Night)...

2nd class sleeping-cars, marketed as 'Standard Night', are a great way to travel, and are safe, comfortable, cheap and fun too.  They are open-plan, with upper and lower berths arranged along each side of the coach on either side of a central aisle.  Each bunk has curtains for privacy.  Upper berths are cheaper than lower berths, but they are much narrower, so ask for a lower berth if possible.  All necessary bedding is provided, with blankets and fresh clean sheets.  These sleepers are available on all overnight trains in Malaysia, including Singapore-Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth (for Penang)-Hat Yai (in Thailand), Singapore-Tumpat (Khota Bharu) and Kuala Lumpur-Tumpat (Khota Bharu).  The Butterworth (Penang)-Bangkok sleepers are similar, but provided by the Thai Railways, see below.

Virtual tour - 2nd class sleepers
Video - Taking the sleeper to KL...
		Above:  The aisle in a 2nd class sleeper from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.		Above:  Upper & lower berths in a 2nd class sleeper.

1st class sleepers (Premier Night Standard)...

1st class sleeping-cars, marketed as 'Premier Night', have private air-conditioned 2-berth compartments with washbasin.  These sleepers operate Kuala Lumpur-Butterworth (for Penang) and Kuala Lumpur-Tumpat (Khota Bharu), but not Singapore-KL or beyond Butterworth to Hat Yai or Bangkok, or on the Singapore-Tumpat night train.  All necessary bedding, towels and toiletries are provided.  Passengers travelling alone can either pay for both berths OR book one berth in a 2-bed compartment and share with another civilised sleeper passenger of the same sex.

Above:  A first class 2-berth sleeper (marketed as 'Premier Night Standard', previously marketed as '2Plus').  It's no longer available on the Singapore-KL overnight train, but still available between KL & Butterworth, KL & Tumpat.  More photos of this type of sleeper.

Premier Night Deluxe sleepers...

The Singapore-Kuala Lumpur overnight train has a deluxe sleeping-car, with 1- or 2-bed private rooms with en suite toilet & shower.  See www.ktmb.com.my for a 360° virtual tour.  Two armchairs face each other over a table.  At night, the seat converts to a lower berth and an upper bed folds out from the wall.  A simple packed meal, served in your compartment, is included in the fare.  All necessary bedding, towels and toiletries are provided.  There's even a TV in the room ( which may or may not work!), and the private toilet/shower room comes complete with electric hairdryer.  It's fully carpeted, but expect the carpet to be grubby!  More photos of the deluxe sleeper.  Virtual tour of deluxe sleeper

						Virtual tour - deluxe sleeper
Deluxe sleeper, armchair in evening position.		Deluxe sleeper in night mode, with seats made up into lower berth.		Deluxe sleeper:  View into the private shower & toilet.

The International Express Butterworth (Penang) - Bangkok...

The 2nd class sleepers on the International Express are provided by the State Railways of Thailand.  There are no 1st class sleepers on this train, other than the one that is attached between Hat Yai & Bangkok, which cannot be reserved from Malaysia.  However, there's no need to travel 1st class, as the 2nd class sleepers shown here are perfectly good, clean and comfortable.

The sleepers may be the most modern type (pictured above & below far right) or the older type (pictured below left & below centre).  The seats pull together and a mattress is placed on them  to form the lower berth.  The upper berth folds out from the wall.  Curtains are hung for privacy.

A Thai restaurant car is attached to the International Express between Hat Yai and Bangkok for your evening meal and breakfast.  It serves remarkably good (and remarkably cheap) full meals.  It's easy to choose your dishes, as the menu has photographs of the food...

Local trains... Left:  A much older non-air-con 3rd class ('Economy') carriage, on slow train 91 from Gemas to Khota Bahru along the 'Jungle Line'.  Photo courtesy of Hendrik Meurs.

Singapore Station...

Trains from Singapore leave from the faded colonial grandeur of Singapore's magnificent and historic art-deco station in Keppel Road.  Click here for a location map.  The railway was extended across the causeway from Johor Bahru onto Singapore Island in 1924, initially to a temporary station until the present station was opened to passengers in 1932.  The letters 'F M S R' on the front of the building stand for "Federated Malay States Railway", the railway's original name when Singapore & Malaysia were both part of British Malaya.  The reservation counters (visible at centre of left-hand picture) are computerised and can reserve all trains in Malaysia, including the International Express from Butterworth to Bangkok.  American Express & Diners Club are accepted, but not Visa or MasterCard.  There's no cash-point (ATM) in the station or nearby, so take out cash before going to the station.  There is a VIP lounge for 1st class passengers.  The station has Asian-style food stalls, kiosks selling snacks, drinks, mineral water, a currency exchange kiosk, but there are no luggage lockers.  The closest MRT (metro) station to Singapore mainline station is Tanjong Pagar, but it's a fair walk from there and not very well signposted, so  check a map before you set off.  For a Singapore MRT metro map and information, see www.smrt.com.sg.  There's a good look round Singapore's railway station in this video or see this panorama photo inside Singapore station.

The station and mainline railway belong to Malaysia, even though they are built on Singaporean territory.  So don't expect normal Singapore standards!  The Singaporeans have been trying for years to buy or sequestrate the land so the station can be closed and built over.  Hopefully they won't succeed.  But enjoy leaving Singapore from its historic colonial mainline station while you can!

Singapore station to close by July 2011 - trains will be transferred to Woodlands... It's reported that the historic station in Singapore will close by July 2011, with trains transferred to start/terminate at a new station at Woodlands, near the causeway to Malaysia, see this article.  Sadly, in Singapore they know the value of nothing except office blocks and shopping centres.  By summer year, taking a train from this wonderful building will be a thing of the past.  You will have to take a bus to the new Woodlands station and pick up trains to KL and Bangkok there.  Malaysian and Singaporean border control will be co-located at the new station, so at least this will save the long stops for border control en route, cutting journey time.  It's also planned to preserve, rather than demolish, the old station building.

Above:  Inside Singapore station, with the reservation counters.  Note the murals!

Above:  The imposing facade of Singapore railway station in Keppel Road...

Customs & passport control when leaving Singapore: 

Singapore station:  When leaving Singapore, you should arrive at least 30 minutes before your train leaves, to allow for clearance of Malaysian customs.  In reality, as you can see from the photo above, you file quickly through Malaysian passport control & onto the train...  Photo courtesy of James Chuang

Woodlands train checkpoint:  About 20-30 minutes after leaving Singapore station, the train stops at the Woodlands train checkpoint just before the causeway across to Malaysia.  Here, you need to leave the train (but can leave your luggage on board), enter this building, pass quickly through the Singaporean passport/immigration/customs control, then re-board the train. Photo courtesy of James Chuang

Kuala Lumpur station...

Long-distance trains now serve KL's shiny new Sentral station (complete with VIP lounge for 1st class passengers and left luggage office), and no longer use the famous Moorish-style railway station built by the British in 1911.  However, suburban trains still stop there, and as from August 2009, express trains between KL Sentral, Ipoh & Penang also call there.  If you are staying in KL, the Heritage Station Hotel is part of the old 1911 station building, and it's a good cheap lower-mid-range choice, costing about RM95 (£19) per night for a spacious (if dated) double room.  For other hotels in KL, use the hotel search engine below or see TripAdvisor's Kuala Lumpur hotels page.

Right:  A northbound express calls at Kuala Lumpur's historic colonial railway station, before the opening of the new KL Sentral station.

Penang - Butterworth ferry...

Penang is an island, and the main town on Penang Island is called Georgetown, once capital of British Malaya.  The railway station for Penang is Butterworth, which is on the mainland directly opposite Georgetown.  When you arrive by train at Butterworth station, you go up a short walkway from the platforms to the ferry terminal, and ferries from Butterworth to Penang (Georgetown) operate around the clock at frequent intervals, taking just 15 minutes.  Georgetown has some excellent British colonial buildings, interesting museums and temples, and a large Chinatown.  Well worth a visit!

For hotels in Penang, use the hotel search engine below or see TripAdvisor's Penang hotels page.  The most famous & historic place to stay in Penang is of course the historic Eastern & Oriental Hotel, around £110 for a double room.

Right:  The Butterworth to Penang ferry, linking the railway station with Georgetown.

Singapore to Bangkok by luxury train: www.orient-expresstrains.com

The ultra-luxurious 'Eastern & Oriental Express' runs direct once a week between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, including a brief diversion via Kanchanaburi and the Bridge on the River Kwai.  It's operated by the same company that runs the superb Venice Simplon Orient Express in Europe, and uses sleeping-cars originally built in Japan for the New Zealand Railways Wellington-Auckland 'Silver Star' sleeper train (which ran 1972 to 1979).  A one-way ticket from Singapore to Bangkok costs at least £1,230 (including meals & tea/coffee, but excluding drinks), compared with around £40 by regular trains (although admittedly, meals on the regular trains are extra!).  See www.orient-expresstrains.com for times, dates, prices & online booking.

Inclusive tours on the Eastern & Oriental Express...

UK companies such as Great Rail Journeys offer inclusive escorted tours to Malaysia and Thailand, using the Eastern & Oriental Express.

If you have the time (and we're talking a minimum of 3½ weeks one-way), you can travel from London to Singapore overland.  The links below cover travel in either direction, from London or to London:

• Step 1:  London to Moscow by train.  Daily departures, 2 nights, from about £160 one-way with sleeper.  Spend at least 1 night in Moscow.

• Step 2:  Moscow to Beijing by Trans-Siberian Railway  Two trains a week, 6 nights, from about $450 or £225 one-way in 4-bed sleeper.  Spend at least 1 night in Beijing.

• Step 3:  Beijing to Hanoi by train Two trains a week, 2 nights, about $150 or £75 one-way in soft sleeper.  Spend at least 1 night in Hanoi.

• Step 4:  Hanoi to Saigon by train  Several trains daily, 2 nights.  Why not stop off to see Hue or Hoi An?  About $80 or £40 one-way in soft sleeper.

• Step 5:  Saigon-Phnom Penh by bus Daily, 1 day.  Spend at least 1 night in PP.

• Step 6:  Phnom Penh-Battambang by train or bus, bus to the frontier, train to Bangkok.

• Step 7:  Bangkok to Singapore by train.  Daily, 2 nights, from £40 or $80 one-way including sleeper for both nights.

There aren't any travel agencies who can arrange the whole trip, so you will need to plan it out and arrange each stage of the journey yourself.  It's an exercise in project management!  Unless time is absolutely no object, you should book the key sections in advance through various travel agencies, for example, book London-Moscow through a UK European train ticketing agency such as DB's UK office or europeanrail.com, then book Moscow-Beijing & Beijing-Hanoi through a local Russian agency such as Svezhy Veter or www.realrussia.co.uk.  Tickets for other parts of the trip, for example, Hanoi-Saigon-Phnom Penh-Bangkok can all be bought locally, as you go along.  You'll need to pre-arrange visas for Belarus, Russia, possibly Mongolia, China & Vietnam, and in many ways complying with the various visa requirements (and in some cases, requirements for confirmed onward tickets to be held) is actually the biggest hassle, not buying the tickets for the trains, so check this out carefully using the relevant embassy websites.

Where do you start?  First, read through the seat61 pages linked above.  Then sketch out your itinerary using a simple spreadsheet like this, deciding where and for how long you want to stop off.  Next, check out the visa situation for each country.  Finally, follow the advice on each seat61 page to buy tickets for each train journey that you want to pre-book.

Find a hotel in Singapore, Malaysia or anywhere in Southeast Asia...

Don't be afraid to find hotels as you go, to stay flexible.  A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides will point you at some good hotels in each town or city when you get there.  Alternatively, you can pre-book hotels (budget, mid-range and upmarket) in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and most of Southeast Asia through www.hotelscombined.com.  Just use the search box below.  It's the best hotel search system I've seen.  This is not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms, Asiativ.com, Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to find the cheapest hotel rates on the net.  Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.  It will even find the cheapest online rate for Raffles in Singapore, or the famous Eastern & Oriental hotel in Georgetown, Penang.

		◄◄◄ Search all major hotel booking websites at once...
Powered by Hotelscombined.com

You might also want to check Tripadvisor:  Tripadvisor Singapore hotels   Tripadvisor Malaysia hotels

Raffles Hotel, Singapore...

Well, it has to be Raffles, hasn't it?  A major Singapore landmark and a tourist attraction in its own right, all rooms are suites and will set you back around £298 per night.  Ask for a room in the main building, as many rooms are now in an annexe, converted from storerooms at the back.  If you can't afford a room, at least drop in for a refreshing Singapore sling (a rather more affordable, but still steep £6 each) in the famous Long Bar.  At least the peanuts are free.  Remember to follow tradition by dropping the peanut shells straight onto the floor...

Raffles Hotel...		A Raffles suite...		The famous 'Long Bar'

To book a room at Raffles use www.hotelscombined.com to compare rates.  The hotel's own website is www.Raffles.com.

If you like Raffles, try the. Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang, equally historic but a bit cheaper at around £110 for a double room.

Backpacker hostels...

www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget the backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers has online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Singapore and most other world cities at rock-bottom prices.

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  For the independent traveller, I have no hesitation in recommending either the Lonely Planets or the Rough Guides.  Both provide an excellent level of practical information and historical and political background.  You will not regret buying one..! 

Click the images to buy from Amazon.co.uk

Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable...

It's probably the most adventurous timetable ever published...  The famous Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable is the best place to find train, bus and ferry times for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand or anywhere else in Asia, Africa, America, Australasia.  It's updated every two months, it's essential reading for any serious overland traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers!

• You can get a copy for £13.99 from any UK branch of Thomas Cook or buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com (with worldwide delivery). 

• Alternatively, you can buy the twice-yearly  Independent Traveller's edition at Amazon.co.uk (also with shipping worldwide).

Get insured...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

If you live in the UK, get quotes from Columbus Direct or Go Travel Insurance, or go to Confused.com to run a price comparison on a whole range of travel insurance providers for your dates of travel, seeing their policy's features at a glance..

        If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

    If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get a pre-paid currency MasterCard from Caxton FX...

You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a Caxton FX currency card, available in euros, dollars or the multi-currency 'Global Traveller' card.   Find out about these cards & sign up here.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up a £1,000 bill in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also works for laptop or PDA data access.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.

Overland travel by train & bus around Southeast Asia is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!  But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Asia in the first place.  For flights to Singapore, two airlines stand out:

• Singapore Airlines, www.singaporeair.com, consistently voted one of the world's best (and I wouldn't disagree, as far as airlines go...).

• Virgin Atlantic Airlines, www.virginatlantic.com, who now fly direct from the UK to Singapore, another good choice for both price & service.

For flights to Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, compare airline prices at www.opodo.com or www.e-bookers.com.  Seat61 gets a small commission through these links.