Taking the train to Singapore

Taking the train to Singapore isn't an option for travelers in a rush. Going by train can be a slow and complicated process. Also, my experience is that trains to Singapore are seldom on time. I do not recommend going to Singapore by train unless you are a particularly hardy traveler with plenty of time who does not mind waiting.

Passengers taking the train to Singapore arrive at the Singapore Railway Station at Keppel Road, Tanjung Pagar. It is also called the Tanjong Pagar railway station. Although located at the southern part of the island of Singapore, it is actually on Malaysian territory.

There are three trains to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur daily. Two are daytime air-conditioned services while one is a night train. The terminus are KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur and the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore. The fare for trains to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur is RM68 for first class, RM34 second class and RM19 economy class. If you are coming from Bangkok, Hatyai and Butterworth, you can take the train to KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur and from there take the train to Singapore.

Trains to Singapore from Kuala LumpurEkspres Sinaran Pagi departs at 8:30 am and arrives at 4:00 pm the same day Ekspres Rakyat departs at 2:15 pm and arrives at 9:45 pm the same day Ekspres Senandung Malam departs at 10:00 pm and arrives at 8:05 am the next day The Tanjong Pagar MRT station is the nearest MRT station from the Singapore railway station.

Clearing Immigration and Customs for Train Passengers

Passengers taking the train will experience the result of a lengthy dispute between Malaysia and Singapore over immigration and custom clearance. The land was sold to Malaysia's train operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu in 1918 on a 999-year lease, and technically belongs to Malaysia. Malaysia has kept it since - though Singapore has been trying to buy it back piece by piece over time. Anyway, due to this oddity, until 2004, you could still see the sign saying "Welcome to Malaysia" right at the main entrance of the Tanjong Pagar station.

When Malaysia and Singapore split into two countries, initially there were no border controls. When it was established, the Malaysia and Singapore Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) booths were stationed at the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. In 1992-1993, Singapore built and opened the new Woodlands Train Checkpoint (WTCP), and after lengthy negotiation with Malaysia, decided in 1998 to move its CIQ to Woodlands Train Checkpoint, and asked Malaysia to move its CIQ out of Tanjong Pagar station by 1 August 1998. Malaysia refused to do so when it was not given space within the Woodlands Train Checkpoint for it to station its CIQ, instead asked to conduct the immigration and customs clearance on the platform. As a result of this disagreement, and until these two countries sort things out, people taking the train to Singapore will have their immigration clearance done on board the train at Johor Bahru Railway Station. After the immigration clearance is done, the train crosses the causes and stops at the Woodlands Train Checkpoint (WTCP) where passengers will have to disembark from the train to do their immigration and customs clearance.

Due to Malaysia's insistence that Malaysian immigration and customs ckearance continue to operate at Tanjong Pagar railway station, people taking the train from Singapore to Malaysia will clear immigration and customs with the Malaysian officers at Tanjong Pagar before boarding the train. Then the train goes to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint where passengers leave the train to do their Singapore immigration and customs clearance. In other words, passengers are granted entry into Malaysia before they leave Singapore. To overcome this peculiar issue, Malaysian immigration officers do not stamp the passengers' passports.

Trains from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur

Ekspres Rakyat departs at 8.20 am and arrives at 3:40 pm the same dayEkspres Sinaran Petang departs at 1:00pm and arrives at 8:20 pm the same dayEkspres Senandung Malam departs at 10:15pm and arrives at 7:08 am the next day

If you are taking the train from Singapore back to Kuala Lumpur, be aware that if you buy your tickets at the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, you will be charged in Singapore dollars as though it is 1:1 between the Singapore dollar and Malaysian ringgit, although at present exchange rate, it is really S$1.00 = RM2.40 as of (4 July 2008). An alternative is to board the Singapore-to-Kuala Lumpur train at Johor Bahru railway station (you'd have to take a bus to Johor Bahru to do that), where you can purchase your ticket priced in Malaysian ringgit. The timetable for trains leaving Johor Bahru is as follows:

Ekspres Rakyat leaves Johor Bahru at 9:21 amEskpres Senaran Petang leaves Johor Bahru at 2:01 pmEkspres Senandung Malam leaves Johor Bahru at 11:25 pm

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