KTM West Coast Line

The West Coast Line runs from Padang Besar railway station close to the Malaysia–Thailand border in Perlis (where it connects with the State Railway of Thailand) to Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore. It is called the West Coast line because it serves the West Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia.

The 1,151-kilometre line is busier than the East Coast Line because the West Coast Line handles a variety of passenger train services such as the various KTM Intercity services, the International Express, the KTM Komuter in the Klang Valley, and freight trains.

The major stations on the line include KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth railway station in Butterworth, Penang and JB Sentral in the south.

Line definition

The West Coast Line consists on the main trunk line from Padang Besar to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore.

It also consists of several branch lines from this trunk, namely:

Branch lines where the tracks exist but are not used for any service are:

The West Coast Line connects with the State Railway of Thailand at Padang Besar, while the East Coast Line branches off at Gemas.

Infrastructure

Double-tracking and electrification

The main trunk of the West Coast Line is double-tracked and electrified from Padang Besar to Gemas. This followed the completion of both the Ipoh-Padang Besar Double-Tracking and Electrification Project, and the Seremban-Gemas Double-Tracking and Electrification Project in 2014.

In addition to the main line, the following branch lines are also double-tracked and electrified:

The total length of the West Coast Line which is double-tracked and electrified is 759 km.

From Gemas to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint, the West Coast Line is single track and not electrified. Loops at stations allow trains to pass.

The disused branch lines to Teluk Intan and Port Dickson are also single track and not electrified.

Services

The West Coast Line is served by a variety of train services:

History

The West Coast Line was developed in stretches between 1885 with the opening of the Taiping-Port Weld Line, and 1932 when the line opened up to Tanjung Pagar, thus spanning the entire west coast of Peninsular Malaysia from Padang Besar on the Malaysia-Thai border to Singapore. The line began with the construction of branches linking coastal ports with inland tin mining areas before they were gradually linked up by the main truck line running through the interior of the West Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia.

The latest new lines to be built were the branch lines to West Port, North Port, Tanjung Pelepas, Pasir Gudang and the North Butterworth Container Terminal. The trunk line had also seen sections becoming disused, abandoned or even removed, with the latest being the closure and subsequent removal of the southernmost stretch of track between the Woodlands Train Checkpoint and Tanjung Pagar in 2011.

Projects

Gemas – Johor Bahru electrification and double-tracking

After many years of announcements about the intention to upgrade the final stretch of single track of the West Coast Line, the Government began the public display exercise for the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrification and Double-Tracking Project on 27 October 2015. The public display exercise, required for all development of new railways under Section 84 of Malaysia's Land Public Transport Act 2010, will run until 27 January 2016.

According to documents on display to the public, construction is expected to begin in 2016 and be completed in 2021.[1]

The length of the line to be electrified and double-tracked is 197 km between Chainage 563.040 at Gemas dan Chainage 754.180 at Johor Bahru. The project includes the construction of 11 stations at Segamat, Genuang, Labis, Bekok, Paloh, Kluang, Mengkibol, Rengam, Layang-Layang, Kulai and Kempas Baru, and 3 future stations at Tenang, Chamek and Senai. The upgraded line is supposed to cater for at least 22 services daily involving KTM ETS, KTM Intercity and shuttle train services.

The documents displayed also stated that the electrification for the stretch will have the same specifications as that of the Seremban-Gemas stretch, name at 25kV AC 50 Hz single phase and supplied via an overhead catenary. Train operations for this stretch will be integrated with the Train Control Centres at KL Sentral and Gemas. The design speed for the tracks is 160 km/h.

On 11 December 2015, the Chinese company China Railway Construction Company (CRCC) has been awarded to build the Gemas – Johor Bahru Electrification and Double-Tracking project.

References

  1. ↑ "(untitled)". Portal Ramsi Kementerian Pengangkutan; Ministry of Transport.

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