With the full completion of the Peninsula’s double-track railway project by the Ministry of Transport, there are now increased daily northbound and southbound electric train services running from Padang Besar in Perlis to Johor Bahru, passing through 59 train stations across major cities and small towns.
Traveling time by train has been significantly reduced compared to road transport, and passenger numbers are steadily increasing. We propose that Tourism Malaysia to launch “Rail Tourism” initiative to connect the towns along the railway line, stimulate local economic activities across the peninsula, and allow both domestic and international tourists to discover the unique culture and character of more towns—especially those second- and third-tier towns that are often overlooked.
Taking Kluang and Segamat as examples, driving between the two takes about two hours, but the double-track train can complete the journey in as little as 44 minutes. Currently, there are up to eight daily return trips between Kluang and Segamat, making day trips feasible.
We also suggest that to encourage day trips and short domestic travel, the tourism authority could consider selecting specific towns and providing free shuttle bus loops from train stations to several local attractions. This would make independent travel more convenient and feasible, and even allow travelers to make short stopovers to explore between Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur, as well as between Kuala Lumpur and Perlis.
We further point out that since this year is Visit Malaysia Year, and with the global energy crisis causing a surge in domestic diesel prices and increases in long-distance bus fares, tourism promotion efforts could be aligned with the increasingly frequent electric train services. This would encourage the public to choose trains as an option for local travel and short trips.