Tips on traveling between Malaysia and Singapore via KTM trains

Due to the close proximity of Singapore and Malaysia, you have a few travel options depending on your schedule. Other than direct air flights and long haul bus rides, there is also the KTM train which is frequently used by Singaporeans and Malaysians.

While the journey by train can be longer than by plane or bus, you get to enjoy the scenic countryside views of Malaysia as the train rumbles along the tracks. 

If your departure is at night, you can opt to take the bunker beds which allows you to sleep through the ride. Although the bed might not be as comfortable as your own bed, it is definitely a much better option than sleeping on planes or buses.

This quick post will tell you how to book KTM tickets online and a few tips to save money and make the ride more enjoyable.

To start booking your tickets online, visit https://intranet.ktmb.com.my/e-ticket/

It may seem a little confusing at first, but if you only want to view the ticket dates and prices, you can use the options on the left pane (origin, destination and departure dates) and choose the train from the right pane. 

Once you want to book a ticket, you do need to register for an account first and it will bring you to the actual ticket reservation  page.

A little not-so-obvious tip here is that you can actually book single trips and not just return trips as the GUI seems to suggest. Just ignore the return date/train/coach section.

After you submit the page, you will be brought to the ticket payment page. There is only credit/debit card option available. Make your payment and you can will see the e-ticket. Quick suggestion for you to print it out either on paper or into pdf format as you will not be receiving any emails later.

As mentioned earlier, depending on the train timing, there are different seat/bunker types available:

• AFC/ASC = Normal train seats with AFC being more expensive
• ADFNB/ADNFD/ADNS = Bunker beds with ADFND being most expensive

I have only tried the ADNS option and found the bed good enough. A tip here is to bring along a clean piece of old clothing/towel to cover the pillow. You do not know how many times it has been used without change. Bring a blanket along if you are afraid of cold, though the temperature was quite ok for me.

Another money saving tip I have is to book your tickets from JB Sentral instead of Woodlands CIQ. This is because the ticket price may be almost same but one is in Singapore dollars while the other is in Malaysia Ringgit.

As an example, I have collated the return ticket prices between JB Sentral to KL Sentral vs Woodlands CIQ to KL Sentral. You will quickly see how much savings there is per person just by switching to JB Sentral instead of Woodlands CIQ. For the return trip, the savings is negligible since you are paying in MYR for both instances, so just determine which location is a better drop off point for you.

You may be wondering where JB Sentral is.

Well, after you pass the Malaysia customs (from Woodlands causeway link), walk along the exit path and just follow the crowd. They will make a left u-turn not very far away and walk along a narrow corridor (you will be able to see the inside of the customs from the glass windows on the left). 

Continue going down the path and you should see signs with JB Sentral. Exit the building and cross the road to the next building and this is JB Sentral. You will see a few small shops, KFC is also quite prominent. The JB Sentral train station is just at the opposite end of the building on the same floor.

So next time you are traveling between Singapore and Malaysia, why not relax and take the KTM train?

All of the above are only my personal experiences. Feel free to use for your travel planning but do find out the latest information from the relevant authorities. If in doubt, here's the usual disclaimer.

Review by: DIYTraveltips.com

Tips on: Traveling between Malaysia and Singapore via KTM trains

Date published: 05/06/2013

Rating: 5 / 5 stars