KTM Train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
(KL Sentral to SG Woodlands)
If you are wondering how to travel by train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore Woodlands, currently you will have to take three different trains, as all the old Intercity daytime and sleeper night trains have been replaced on the West Coast Railway Line, with the new, much faster ETS services.
As the dual electrified railway tracks have only currently been upgraded as far as Gemas, the new KTMB high-speed Electric Train Services (ETS) can go only as far as here (the tracks between Gemas and Johor Bahru are currently being upgraded).
KTM ETS train on part of the Kuala Lumpur to Singapore train routeTrain Timetable for KL Sentral to Singapore
(Jadual kereta api Kuala Lumpur ke Singapore)
Latest KTM Train Timetable:
ETS2 train to Gemas
Shuttle train to JB Sentral
From Gemas to JB Sentral in Johor Bahru, you now have to travel on one of the new Shuttle Trains that still use the old diesel engines and carriages / coaches.
Some of these Shuttle services are timed to connect with the arrival of the ETS services and leave shortly after the ETS services arrive in Gemas.
Seats on a Shuttle train to JBFrom JB Sentral Railway Station to Singapore Woodlands Railway Station, you will also have to change to another Shuttle service that operates the 5 minute journey across the Causeway into Singapore from Malaysia.
How many hours it takes to travel from KL to Singapore by train depends on the connections at Gemas and JB Sentral.
The Shuttle Trains from JB to SG are not timed to the arrival of the trains from Gemas / Tampin and are mainly used by workers commuting to Singapore, so you may want to consider taking a bus for the last part of your journey to Singapore or spending a night in Johor Bahru, then travel on to Singapore at your leisure at a later date.
JB to Singapore shuttle trainIf you would prefer to catch a direct bus from KL to Singapore (which is currently much faster):
Click here to check bus departure times and fares from our online bus booking page >
Immigration Procedures Crossing the Border from Malaysia to Singapore by Train
When you arrive at Johor Bahru Railway Station, if you are continuing your journey by Shuttle Train to Singapore Woodlands, you will need to go through immigration at JB Sentral Station to get stamped out of Malaysia.
This is usually a fairly quick procedure, but allow yourselves time to make your connections.
Once you arrive in Singapore, you have to go through immigration at Woodlands Station to get stamped into Singapore.
One of the advantages of travelling over the Causeway into Singapore by train is that immigration procedures are usually much quicker than at most of the other, often very congested border crossings.
Please Note: You are not allowed to bring any cigarettes / tobacco or alcohol across the border from Malaysia to Singapore.
If you do, you will have to declare them and pay a high duty fee.
If you don't declare them and get caught, you will pay a huge fine.
For more information visit the Singapore Customs website here >
How to Travel from Woodlands to Singapore City Centre
(Cara Perjalanan dari Woodlands ke Pusat Bandar Singapura)
Once you have passed through immigration / customs, you can continue your journey to the city by either taking a taxi or to save money, you can take a short bus ride to the nearest MRT station, then take the train to anywhere around Singapore.
There are two MRT stations close to Woodlands Train Checkpoint (CIQ).
The nearest is Marsiling MRT Station which is a little under 2 Kilometres away (you can walk there if you like!).
The other nearby MRT Station is Woodlands MRT Station.
Either of these stations can be reached by regular bus from outside Woodlands Train Station.
Once at the MRT station, the extensive MRT train system in Singapore will take you to just about anywhere in the city.
For more information, fares, timetables and a "Journey Planner" to help you plan your route, we recommend you visit:
Ticket Prices for the Train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore (Singapura)
(Harga tiket kereta api Kuala Lumpur ke Singapore)
All fares shown are for one-way tickets and are in Malaysian Ringgit.
ETS tickets from KL to Gemas cost:
Gold Service:
Adult 31 MYR
Child (Kanak-Kanak) 20 MYR
Shuttle Trains from Gemas to JB Sentral cost:
Adult 21 MYR
Child 15 MYR
Shuttle Trains from JB Sentral to Singapore cost:
5 MYR (Adult and Child)
So the total cost for an adult would be 57 MYR.
For children aged 4 - 12 the cost is 40 MYR.
Children aged 3 and under travel for free and are expected to sit on their parents seat.
Please note: Now KTM has a Flexi Fare system for booking ETS trais, the fares shown above will vary depending on how far in advance you book and the time of day, day of the week and time of the year you are travelling.
For more information on Flexi Fare pricing, visit out KL Sentral ETS fares page here >
Buy Train Tickets from KL Sentral to Singapore
(Beli Tiket Keretapi dari KL Sentral ke Singapura)
Advance booking for these services is highly recommended as trains can often be full many times of the year.
Tickets for all three of these trains can be purchased from KL Sentral Station or any other mainline KTMB station in Malaysia.
KL Sentral station KTM Intercity train ticket counterPlease note: you have to purchase each ticket separately:
- one from KL to Gemas
- one from Gemas to JB
- one from JB to Singapore
To make an advance booking, it is much easier to book tickets online via the KTMB website or using an online ticket agent.
To make your train reservation online now, see our:
Online KTM Ticket booking page here >
If you want to compare prices with bus tickets from KL to Singapore:
Visit our bus booking page here >
To find cheap flights from KUL to SIN click here >
Future HSR / Bullet Train from KL to Singapore
There are plans in place (since 2010) to build a brand new high-speed rail link (HSR or Bullet Train) between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, which is planned to cover the 350 Kilometres distance between these two cities in just 90 minutes.
Like most things that cost this much money to build, plans are made then changed, then changed again. So when, where and if it ever gets built is still very much open for debate.
Currently, they hope to have the HSR operational by 2026, but they have yet to decide who is going to build it.
Watch this space as they say!