HSR: What’s Next?

 

When KTM Bhd finally commenced its Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baru ETS (electric train service) on 12 December 2025, after around seven years of construction – one thing was clear:  journey time now is approximately 4.5 hours. 

It is possible for a train running non-stop from KL Sentral to reach JB Sentral, a rail distance of 330km, in three hours, given the design speed of the alignment, which is 160kph. 

 

In practice, however, KTMB is running the ETS sets at 140kph to maintain a decent safety margin on the metre-gauge network, as well as to keep the lid on maintenance costs. 

A significant limitation is the relatively dated metre-gauge alignment. The new southern ETS makes 15 stops between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru – including at Pulau Sebang (Tampin), Batang Melaka, Gemas, Segamat, Labis, Bekok, Paloh, Kluang, Rengam, Layang-Layang, Kulai, and Kempas Baru – before arriving at JB Sentral. This means a journey time of at least four hours and 20 minutes. This is a disappointment for those who are time-strapped, especially when the ETS is averaging only 76kph. 

Do we still need the cross-border HSR? Some people have argued that the completion of the Gemas-Johor Baru double track, coupled with the impending completion of the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link by the end of 2026, will remove the need for the proposed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR). 

In its original form, the KL-SG HSR was to complete the non-stop journey from Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to Jurong East in Singapore, after passing Iskandar Puteri in Johor, in no more than 90 minutes. This 90-minute cross-border journey time is guaranteed as all immigration or customs formalities will be completed before the passenger boards the train, whether in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. While not explicitly stated by the project proponent, the alignment and infrastructure that allows the 90-minute non-stop journey also allows those from Kuala Lumpur to reach Iskandar Puteri in a mere two hours, even after the train stops at Sepang-Putrajaya (near Bangi), Seremban, Ayer Keroh, Muar, and Batu Pahat. 

Experts also note that KTMB’s network often passes through old towns with limited space for sizeable new developments, while the proposed HSR stations will be located slightly away from mature areas to spread development more equitably, with the intent of attracting high-value or cutting-edge industries in ways old towns can’t accommodate. 

In its original proposal, the HSR was to pass through high-growth areas such as Seremban (Labu), Ayer Keroh, Muar, and Batu Pahat, along with Iskandar Puteri. The ETS cannot deliver the ‘time is money’ efficiency required to replace short-haul flights or integrate the two national economies the way the HSR would be able to. 

The key is cost. If HSR costs are borne largely by the Governments of Singapore and Malaysia, then the operating company running the express and transit (HSR) trains has a fair chance to be profitable. The right business model is the key to its viability. 

Reference:
What next for the high-speed rail to Singapore? Meng Yew Choong, The Star, 28 December 2025