Saturday July 9, 2011
Trainspotting in the Klang Valley
Story and photos by LIZ PRICE
Trainspotting is an old-fashioned hobby, but one that can easily be enjoyed in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley.
‘Trains are wonderful... to travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns... and rivers, in fact, to see life’
– Agatha Christie
KUALA Lumpur can be considered a trainspotter’s paradise.
The Klang Valley has several different lines carrying various types of train, and these all pass through KL. There are trains running at ground level, there are trains high above our heads and some that go underground. Some of the carriages are brightly painted with adverts designed to catch the eye.
What’s trainspotting?
It’s an old-fashioned hobby that involves collecting sightings of trains. In the Klang Valley, it would be easy to enjoy this hobby. One would only have to sit at a station such as KL Sentral or the old KL station, and many of the trains would pass in front of your eyes.
Trainspotters typically “collect” engines, recording the data of all that they see. It could be engine numbers, names or types. They may also record other railway equipment that takes their fancy, or perhaps the movements of trains.
The trainspotter might concentrate on a certain type of trains, such as passenger trains on different lines or belonging to different companies. Or perhaps he may prefer to look for moving stock, such as that belonging to one company, or different types of stock.
Today, modern trainspotters have it easy, as they can check train times and railway information on the Internet. Enthusiasts can maintain electronic records, and railway information can be kept up to date on the computer. This has led to virtual trainspotting, in which online pictures of trains are collected.
Years ago in the days of steam, some enthusiasts carried tape recorders not only to speak of their findings, but to record the sound of the locos. A camera is a vital piece of equipment, especially since there is so much advertising on the coaches these days.
The Klang Valley certainly has some colourful trains. The monorails are the most visual, as they pass high above our heads above the streets of KL. They look bright and cheerful with their multicoloured livery adorning the sides. The monorail has become an icon of KL, as it is so visible. Opened on Aug 31, 2003, and serving 11 stations running 8.6km, it connects the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transport hub with the “Golden Triangle” area of Bukit Bintang and goes on to Titiwangsa just beyond Chow Kit.
The trains are short, consisting of just two carriages. These run on two parallel elevated tracks which are on a single support. The maximum capacity of the monorail is 244 at full load with 48 people sitting and 196 standing. However, this is never enough during rush hour.
It’s quite satisfying to ride the monorail during peak traffic times and look down on the congested gridlocked streets below, and be thankful you’re being whisked in clean, air-conditioned comfort to your destination.
The Light Railway Transit, or LRT, meanwhile, is a dual-track railway that runs on and underground in contrast to the overhead monorail. And unlike the latter, the LRT has several lines that run around the Klang Valley and criss-cross the city.
The LRT is operated by two different companies, Putra and Star, and these two lines only intersect at one station – Masjid Jamek. Here, if you want to switch lines, you have to exit and walk across or under the road to get to the other station. And because the two lines are operated by two different companies, passengers have to pay separately to use each line.
The Star line runs on and at times above ground, whereas the Putra line has a combination of ground level and underground tracks. The trains are fully automated and driver-less, have more carriages and are longer than the monorail.
The LRT was made famous by the 1999 film Entrapment starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones. Although they filmed at Bukit Jalil station, the filmmakers used the Pudu sign.
Another above ground rail system is the KTM Komuter train. This runs from Rawang in the north to Port Klang in the southwest and Seremban to the south. The train is a fast and cheap way to move commuters around the Klang Valley.
In April 2010 the Komuter introduced its Ladies Only carriages, a first in Malaysia. With distinctive pink signs and stickers, the Ladies Coach is located in the middle of each Komuter train. However I have seen men use it. I don’t know if they are oblivious to the pink signs or simply don’t care.
One connecting station for all these lines is KL Sentral. This serves as a hub for LRT and monorail services as well as the KTM Komuter. It is also the terminus for the express rail link (ERL) to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The KLIA Express is a non-stop, high-speed train service that connects KLIA with the city, running at a top speed of 160kph.
KL Sentral has replaced the old KL station. The old KL station is well known for its Moorish architecture with the domes and minarets. The station itself is of a simple layout, with the rail lines running through the rectangular-shaped building. In contrast KL Sentral is more complex, with trains running at different levels, from below ground to high above ground.
KL Sentral is a great place for trainspotters. Any enthusiast could spend quite some time at the station, watching the various trains arriving, departing and just passing through. The station is also on the main intercity rail line, connecting with Singapore and Thailand. Express and slow mail trains pass through this station.
The relatively new Electric Train Service (ETS) connects KL to Ipoh. This started in August 2010. Being the newest kid on the block, the trains are smart and the carriages equipped with modern conveniences. Initially, there were two services – transit and express. Now these have become Platinum, Gold and Silver, depending on the speed and number of stops. The train has a top speed of around 148kph.
Goods trains also pass through KL Sentral and KL stations. These include long wagons full of cement, chemicals, petrochemicals and industrial products.
Another good place for an enthusiastic trainspotter would be the new bus terminal, Terminal Bersepadu Selatan at Bandar Tasik Selatan (TBS-BTS) in Selangor. This has replaced the newly renovated Pudu Raya bus station for all southbound buses. The terminal is located next to the Express Rail Link (ERL) KLIA Transit Station, the Stesen Komuter KTM Bandar Tasik Selatan and the Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT Station (Star LRT).
To end on a splendid note, I’d like to point out that the Eastern & Oriental Express, a luxury train, winds its way between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and on into Laos. This is the sister train to Europe’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express which was made famous by Agatha Christie’s 1934 book Murder On The Orient Express.
The golden age of travel lives on with the Eastern & Oriental Express luxury train, and it would be a grand addition to any trainspotter’s collection.
Fact file
Surprisingly some of these rail transport systems do not have a website. The ones that do give maps showing rail network, timetable and fares and other general information.
Electric train service, KL to Ipoh
http://www.ets-train.com.my/web/ets/
Keretapi Tanah Malaysia
http://www.ktm.com.my/
KTM Intercity
http://www.ktmintercity.com.my/
KTM Komuter
http://www.ktmkomuter.com.my/
KLIA Express
http://www.kliaekspres.com/
Source:
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