ETS3 Johor Bahru KL Sentral Service to Begin Operations on Dec 12

The long-awaited Electric Train Service 3 (ETS3) connecting Johor Bahru and KL Sentral will officially begin operations on Dec 12, marking a major step forward in strengthening rail connectivity along the southern corridor.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook confirmed that the official launch ceremony is scheduled for Dec 11, with the ministry seeking the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar to officiate the event in Johor Bahru.

Higher Train Frequency on Short-Haul Southern Route

Loke explained that the ETS3 will prioritise the Johor Bahru–Kuala Lumpur stretch in its initial phase to enable more frequent train services compared to longer-distance routes.

“A long route to the north limits operations to just two trips a day. With a shorter journey like Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur, we can increase frequency significantly,” he said during the launch of the 2025 Kluang Rail Festival at Laman Rel Mahkota.

The ETS3 service was first introduced between Kuala Lumpur and Kluang in August, during which Sultan Ibrahim personally drove the high-speed train from KL Sentral to Kluang. The train can reach speeds of up to 140 km/h.

This improved southern connectivity is expected to complement rising mobility demand across the Klang Valley — including growing commuter movement in major real estate zones such as office space in Bukit Jalil, manufacturing hubs like factory clusters in Puchong, and logistics-driven corridors connected to industrial land in Selangor and industrial property in the Subang area.

ART Project Still Progressing, Not Delayed

Loke also addressed concerns regarding the status of the Automated Rapid Transit (ART) project in Johor, clarifying that the development remains on track and has not experienced delays.

The project is currently undergoing request-for-proposal (RFP) evaluation under the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) after several earlier proposals did not meet required specifications.

“The ministry is working closely with UKAS to expedite the awarding of the project,” he added.

On Thursday, Johor’s state infrastructure chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh urged the federal government to accelerate the ART rollout, ideally by early next year, to support traffic flow enhancement ahead of the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS Link becoming fully operational in 2027.