Rail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth. Rail transport is capable of high capacity and is energy efficient.
Railways in Malaysia consists of monorail, light rail transit (LRT), heavy rail, and a funicular railway line. Funicular railway is a cable railway in which tram-like vehicles on rails, attached to a cable are moved up and down a steep slope. LRTs are used for city public transport, while heavy rail is used for intercity passenger and freight transport along with city public transport. There is one high-speed railway line with two high-speed train services connecting Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The sole funicular railway line is located in Penang.
The network of railways encompasses most states in Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah is the only state in East Malaysia to have railways. Singapore, even though not a part of Malaysia, uses Malaysia’s railway network.
The intercity network in Peninsular Malaysia has two main lines; the West Coast Line and the East Coast Line. The complete network spans about 1,700 km and uses metre gauge tracks. The network connects with Thai railway. Malaysia’s national petroleum company, Petronas, has a railway line that connects its oil refinery complex and the town of Kerteh with petrochemical complex in Gebeng, Kuantan, and Pahang. Malaysia’s sole high-speed railway line is 57 km long standard gauge connecting Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
There are three systems that are known as light rail transits. Two are used in Kuala Lumpur to carry passengers and the third is employed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to transport passengers between the satellite building and the main terminal building.
Malaysia has one monorail system that is used for public transport in Kuala Lumpur. Its length is 8.6 km and runs from Titiwangsa in the north of the city centre to KL Sentral in the south of central Kuala Lumpur. The whole network is elevated. The network employs two-car trains.
Malaysia has only one funicular railway system, the Penang Hill Railway in Penang. Even though mainly used to transport tourists up Penang Hill, the service is also used by people residing in the hill. This funicular line has two separate sections, with the total length spanning 1.2 km. The track uses metre gauge and is the only funicular railway in East Asia apart from Peak Tram in Hong Kong.
Last Updated on: 20-11-2009
