(NOTE: This article was originally published in 2012, but has been updated several times to reflect the latest changes. The last update to the article was on 30 July 2017)
Greater Kuala Lumpur is served by five different rail services, LRT, Monorail, KTM Komuter, ERL and MRT. You can see the integrated rail services route map here.
Greater Kuala Lumpur is served by five different rail services, LRT, Monorail, KTM Komuter, ERL and MRT. You can see the integrated rail services route map here.
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| Integrated Rail Map of Kuala Lumpur. |
The "LRT" is an acronym for Light Rail Transit. Run by RapidKL, it has three main lines, the Kelana Jaya line, the Ampang and Sri Petaling lines. The LRT connects Kuala Lumpur to the suburbs in neighbouring Selangor state.
a) Kelana Jaya line
Some of the stations highlights are:
Kelana Jaya - At this station, you can get buses or taxis to major shopping malls in Petaling Jaya like Paradigm Mall, Tropicana City Mall, 1-Utama, IKEA and the Curve.
Bangsar - the station is about a 1-km walk to the Telawi area of Bangsar where the Bangsar Village mall and trendy restaurants are. On Sunday evenings there is a Sunday market as well. You can also take a bus from the station to the up-market Bangsar Shopping Centre mall or to the Mid-Valley Megamall / Gardens Mall in the opposite direction.
KL Sentral - the main Train Terminal serving Kuala Lumpur. From here you can get trains run by KTM to cities and towns all across Peninsular Malaysia. It also serves as hub for city trains; in addition to the Kelana Jaya line LRT, the KTM Komuter and ERL also have stops here. The KL Sental monorail station is connected via the Nu Sentral mall and the Muzium Negara MRT station by an air-conditioned pedestrian walkway/tunnel. Adjacent to KL Sentral is the enclave of Brickfields, which is also known as Little India, with its large population of Malaysians of indian descent.
Pasar Seni - which means "Central Market" in malay, is the station opposite the old Central Market, which is now the place to find knick-knacks, souvenirs and handicrafts for your visit to Malaysia and no longer a wet market. From Pasar Seni, you can also walk to Petaling Street for the night market for replicas and fake branded items, as well as to test your bargaining and haggling skills. This old part of KL is commonly known as Chinatown. You can also get the free Go-KL buses to Bukit Bintang from here or interchange to the MRT or KTM Komuter line.
Masjid Jamek - this is the LRT interchange station between the Kelana Jaya and Ampang line. It is also located within walking distance to the old mosque called Masjid Jamek which is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, the spot where the city of Kuala Lumpur was founded and where the city gets its name from ("Kuala Lumpur" means "muddy estuary"). The area also houses a lot of indian muslim businesses specialising in fabric and textiles. A short walking distance from the LRT station is the Dataran Merdeka or Independance Square with the colonial era buildings such as the moorish Sultan Abdul Samad building and the tudor Royal Selangor Club.
KLCC - located underground, this is the station closest to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the symbol of Kuala Lumpur. It is connected in the basement of the Avenue K mall and connected by tunnel to the Suria KLCC mall where you will also find the Petrosains Discovery Centre. The KLCC park adjacent the mall is a pleasant green area in the middle of the city surrounded by skyscrapers. Within the park is the Symphony Lake and its dancing fountains as well as a large children's playground. The KL Convention Centre is connected by tunnel to the Suria KLCC mall; within the convention centre is the aquarium called Aquaria (what else).
Wangsa Maju - from here, you could take buses or taxis to the National Zoo (Zoo Negara).
Gombak - the final station in the Kelana Jaya line. There are Go-Genting buses that depart to the Genting Highlands from here on a regular basis.
As of first quarter of 2016, the Kelana Jaya Line has been extended all the way to Putra Heights from Kelana Jaya; with an additional 13 stations, namely Lembah Subang, Ara Damansara, Glenmarie, Subang Jaya, SS15, SS18, USJ7, Taipan, Wawasan, USJ21, Alam Megah, Subang Alam and Putra Heights.
Of interest to the tourist, would be the following stations:
Subang Jaya - This is an interchange station with the KTM Komuter line. From here, it is also a short walking distance to the Subang Parade mall and the Empire Shopping Gallery.
Putra Heights - The final station on both the Kelana Jaya and Sri Petaling lines. You can change from one line to the other seamlessly at this station.
As of first quarter of 2016, the Kelana Jaya Line has been extended all the way to Putra Heights from Kelana Jaya; with an additional 13 stations, namely Lembah Subang, Ara Damansara, Glenmarie, Subang Jaya, SS15, SS18, USJ7, Taipan, Wawasan, USJ21, Alam Megah, Subang Alam and Putra Heights.
Of interest to the tourist, would be the following stations:
Subang Jaya - This is an interchange station with the KTM Komuter line. From here, it is also a short walking distance to the Subang Parade mall and the Empire Shopping Gallery.
Putra Heights - The final station on both the Kelana Jaya and Sri Petaling lines. You can change from one line to the other seamlessly at this station.
b) Ampang & Sri Petaling lines
The Ampang line runs from the suburb of Sentul Timur to Ampang. The Sri Petaling line branches off from the Ampang line at Chan Sow Lin towards Sri Petaling. Originally called the STAR LRT after the company that operated the line. The name was changed to the Ampang Line after RapidKL took over operations.
Station highlights include:
Titiwangsa - at this station you can interchange to the monorail line. It is about a 1.5 to 2 km walk to Tasik Titiwangsa park, the Istana Budaya theatre and the Art Gallery. Across the busy highway from the station is the Pekeliling bus stand, where you can take inter-state buses to destinations in Pahang state in the centre of the peninsula.
Bandaraya - connected by walkway to the SOGO shopping mall. You can also change to the KTM Komuter by walking across the pedestrian bridge over the river to the Bank Negara KTM station.
Masjid Jamek - interchange station with the Kelana Jaya line. Read the description under the Kelana Jaya line above.
Plaza Rakyat - this station is located in an abandoned construction site, behind the Pudu Sentral (a.k.a. Puduraya bus terminal). Pudu Sentral was the former main inter-state bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur; the interstate bus terminal has now shifted to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (Southern Integrated Terminal) in Bandar Tasik Selatan. However, you can still get buses to the KLIA airport and Genting Highlands from here.
Hang Tuah - at this station, you can interchange to the monorail line. It is also possible to walk to the Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka from here.
Chan Sow Lin - this is where the Ampang and Sri Petaling line splits off from each other if you are coming from the Sentul or the city centre. Make sure you are on the right train for your destination, otherwise get off here and switch to the correct train.
Bandar Tasik Selatan (Sri Petaling line) - this is a major interchange station, where you can switch to the KTM Komuter line or the Express Rail Link (ERL). The Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (Southern Integrated Terminal) is also located here. This is the main inter-state bus terminal for Kuala Lumpur.
Bukit Jalil (Sri Petaling line)- this station is adjacent to the National Stadium and other sports complexes where various sports events and concerts are held.
As of first quarter of 2016, the Sri Petaling Line has been extended all the way to Putra Heights from Sri Petaling; with an additional 11 stations, namely Awan Besar, Muhibbah, Alam Sutera, Kinrara BK8, IOI Puchong Jaya, Pusat Bandar Puchong, Taman Perindustrian Puchong, Bandar Puteri, Puchng Perdana, Puchong Prima and Putra Heights.
Of the above, the stations of interest are:
IOI Puchong Jaya - Closest station to the IOI mall in Puchong.
Putra Heights - The final station on both the Kelana Jaya and Sri Petaling lines. You can change from one line to the other seamlessly at this station.
2) MONORAIL
The monorail system comprises of small 2-car trains that run on a single concrete beam elevated above the road. It is a short single line that runs only about 5 miles within the Kuala Lumpur city limits. Also operated by RapidKL, its ticketing system has been integrated with the LRT lines.
KL Sentral - despite its name, it is not located in the KL Sentral terminal itself, but opposite the road in Brickfields. You can walk to the main KL Sentral terminal through the Nu Sentral shopping mall via a link bridge.
Maharajalela - from this station it is possible to walk to Petaling Street and Chinatown from the rear entrance. It is also close to the Merdeka stadium.
Hang Tuah - interchange station with the LRT line. See above.
Imbi - connected to the massive Berjaya Time Square shopping mall and adjacent to the popular Bukit Bintang shopping district.
Bukit Bintang - connected to the Sungai Wang Plaza and Lot 10 shopping malls by walkway, this station is located in the heart of the popular Bukit Bintang shopping district. Other malls within walking distance include Pavilion, Fahrenheit 88, Starhill and Low Yat Plaza. The Jalan Alor food street and Changkat Bukit Bintang pub area are also within striking distance. You can also connect to the MRT line here.
Bukit Nanas - from here it is a short walk to the LRT station at Dang Wangi. Also close-by is the Hard Rock Cafe and the bar area of Jalan P.Ramlee. It is also possible to walk to Bukit Nanas where the KL Tower is located.
Chow Kit - a rougher part of town, this is also where the wet market is located if you wish to have a look-see.
Titiwangsa - interchange station with the LRT. See above.
Chow Kit - a rougher part of town, this is also where the wet market is located if you wish to have a look-see.
Titiwangsa - interchange station with the LRT. See above.
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KTM is the operator of the interstate train services in Malaysia and has been since British colonial times. As well as the interstate services, KTM also operated city rail services in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area under the name "KTM Komuter". There are two main lines: the Batu Caves-Tampin line and the Tanjung Malim-Pelabuhan Klang line.
a) Batu Caves-Tampin line
It used to go between Seremban and Rawang, although it has now been extended to Tampin at the Seremban end and switched to the Batu Caves instead of Rawang at the other end effective from 15 Dec'2015.
Station highlights include:
Batu Caves - the last stop on the line, this is where the Batu Caves is. The caves house a shrine sacred to Hindus, but you must be prepared to climb the 272 steps to the top. A huge statue of Lord Murugan stands at the base of the steps to the top. The station is directly adjacent to the temple complex at the Hanuman statue and the Ramayana Cave.
KL Sentral (common to both lines) - the main train terminal in peninsular Malaysia. Interchange with the LRT, ERL, MRT at Muzium Negara and monorail line across in Brickfields. See description under LRT above.
Kuala Lumpur (common to both lines) - this was the train station for Kuala Lumpur in colonial British times up until when KL Sentral was built. Designed by A.B.Hubback and completed in 1910, the train station building itself is a tourist attraction done in the moorish style. A short walk away is the National Mosque, where you can catch the shuttle tram to the Lake Gardens. Further down from the mosque you can walk to the Dataran Merdeka or Independance Square. In the other direction is the National Museum. Across the river at the back, is the Central Market and the Pasar Seni LRT station.
Mid-Valley - connected to the huge Mid-Valley Megamall and the adjacent The Gardens malls.
Bandar Tasik Selatan - interchange station with the LRT and ERL lines. Adjacent to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan bus terminal. See above.
Serdang - closest station to the Mines Shopping Fair.
Seremban - the capital of neighbouring Negeri Sembilan state. From here you can catch local buses to Port Dickson, which has the closest presentable beaches to Kuala Lumpur.
b) Tanjung Malim-Pelabuhan Klang line
The line used to originally go from Pelabuhan Klang to Sentul, however its end point at Sentul was switched from Sentul/Batu Caves line to the Rawang/Tanjung Malim line on 15 Dec'2015.
Station highlights include:
Setia Jaya - interchange station with the Sunway Bus Rapid Transit ("BRT") line. You can use the BRT to go to Sunway Resort Hotel, Sunway Pyramid mall and Sunway Lagoon theme park. Take the BRT from Setia Jaya BRT station to Sunway Lagoon BRT station, 2 stops away.
Subang Jaya - adjacent to the Subang Parade shopping mall and close to the Empire Shopping Gallery. It is also an interchange to the Kelana Jaya LRT line.
Klang - the station to the royal Selangor town of Klang. Home to one of the biggest "Little India's" in the country, if not the biggest, Klang is also famous for its "Bak Kut Teh", a pork rib broth.
Pelabuhan Klang - which means Port Klang, is the last stop in the line. From here you can hop on to the ferry to Pulau Ketam (Crab island) to see the chinese fishing village.
4) ERL
The ERL or Express Rail Link was set up to connect the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ("KLIA"), approximately 50km to the south of the city of Kuala Lumpur, to the integrated train terminal at KL Sentral. There are two main forms of the ERL, both using the same railway tracks, the KLIA Ekspres and the KLIA Transit.
a) KLIA Ekspres
The KLIA Ekspres is a fast train that plies between the budget KLIA2 airport terminal and the KL Sentral train station in the city. It makes one stop at the original KLIA airport terminal along the way. Traveling at an impressive 160 km/h, it can cover the distance in 33 minutes, of which 3 minutes is for the journey between KLIA2 and KLIA; and 28 minutes between KLIA and KL Sentral. Tickets originally cost RM35 per adult, from either airport terminal to KL Sentral or vice versa but was raised to RM55 per person one way effective from 1 Jan'2016. For a journey between KLIA and KLIA2 only, tickets cost RM2 per adult.
The KLIA Transit is a slower train that also traverses the KLIA2 to KL Sentral route in 39 minutes. It is slower as it makes four stops along the way, KLIA, Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya and Bandar Tasik Selatan. .
Station highlights:
KLIA2 - The low-cost carrier terminal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport that opened on 2 May 2014.
KLIA - The original main terminal building of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Salak Tinggi - a station where you could take a shuttle bus to the old budget airline LCC Terminal before the LCCT closed down on 8 May 2014.
Putrajaya - Putrajaya is the adminstrative capital of Malaysia. A planned city, it houses government ministries in architectural masterpieces, futuristic bridges and has 5 expansive parks. There are 2 mosques you can visit, the Pink Mosque and the Titanium Mosque. Boat rides are also possible on the lake; and you can even visit the Prime Minister's residence. At the station, you can get taxis or hop on the Nadi Putra buses.
Bandar Tasik Selatan - the interchange station with LRT and KTM Komuter, as well as the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan bus terminal. See Above.
KL Sentral - the main train station in the city. See above.
5. MRT
The Mass Rapid Transit ("MRT") is the latest rail public transportation system introduced to the Klang Valley. The MRT Line 1 runs from Sungai Buloh to Kajang and was partially opened from Sungai Buloh to Semantan in Dec' 2016. On 17 July 2017, the entire length of the line from Sungai Buloh to Kajang became fully operational.
Station Highlights:
Kajang - Kajang MRT Station, the Mass Rapid Transit station in Kajang. The station is situated 1 km south from Kajang's town centre. This station is the final station of Sungai Buloh Kajang MRT Line and it is interchange station to KTM Komuter Rawang-Seremban Line at Kajang Station.
Cochrane - Nearest station to Malaysia's second IKEA store and the MyTown shopping centre.
Tun Razak Exchange - station for the new financial district of Kuala Lumpur.
Bukit Bintang - The main shopping district of Kuala Lumpur and the place where most tourists will stay. Interchange with the monorail line.
Merdeka - Near the Merdeka stadium and the site of the future tallest building in Malaysia, the Warisan Merdeka tower. Short walk to the Hang Tuah LRT and monorail stations.
Pasar Seni - Station for the Central Market and Petaling Street; and also an interchange station to the Kelana Jaya LRT line.
Muzium Negara - literally means "National Museum" and is located right in front of the museum itself. It is connected to KL Sentral by a pedestrian tunnel / walkway. You can also use it to go to the Lake Gardens.
Pusat Bandar Damansara - access to the upmarket Damansara Heights area and the northern end of Bangsar, including the Bangsar Shopping Centre.
Bandar Utama - will eventually connect to the 1Utama shopping mall when the linkage is completed.
Mutiara Damansara - connects to The Curve shopping mall, IPC shopping mall, the original IKEA and Kidzania.
Sungai Buloh - the end station of the MRT Line 1 and interchange station with the KTM Komuter line.
THE FUTURE
The future of rail services in Kuala Lumpur is expected to improve further over the next few years.
MRT
Two more Mass Rapid Transit ("MRT") lines are being planned by the Government. The second MRT line has also been approved by the Federal Government and will run from Sungai Buloh to Putrajaya.
LRT
A third LRT line from Bandar Utama to Klang is also in the planning stage. The route alignment has been published and is expected to commence construction in the near future.
KTM Komuter
There is also a plan to extend the KTM Komuter service to the Subang Skypark airport.
With all these new improvements, public transportation in Kuala Lumpur will be radically changed in the coming years.
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