East Coast Line
KTM East Coast Line at Gua Musang station.
Overview
Other name(s)	Jungle Railway
Native name	Talian Pantai Timur (Malay) 东海岸铁路线 (Simplified Chinese) 東海岸鐵路線 (Traditional Chinese)
Status	Operational
Owner	Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Locale	Peninsular Malaysia
Termini	Tumpat Gemas
Continues as	West Coast Line
Stations	67
Service
Type	Inter-city rail Freight rail
Services	KTM Intercity KTM Kargo
Operator(s)	Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Depot(s)	Tumpat Kuala Krai Gua Musang Kuala Lipis
Technical
Number of tracks	1
Character	Scenic route
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Route map Tumpat Depot Tumpat Kampung Kok Pasir Palekbang Wakaf Bharu Bunut Susu Kampung Machang Thailand Railway Thailand Malaysia border Rantau Panjang Gual Periok Repek Pasir Mas Pasir Mas Junction Chica Tinggi To'Uban Sungai Keladi Bukit Panau Tanah Merah Kampung Paloh Rawa Guillemard Bridge Temangan Sungai Nal Kuala Krai Depot Kuala Krai Pahi Manek Urai Kampung Baru Sungai Mengkuang Ulu Temiang Ulak Jeram Kampung Baru Bukit Abu Bukit Abu Kuala Gris Dabong Kemubu Sri Jaya Sri Mahligai Sri Bintang Sungai Tasin Jerek Baru Bertam Bertam Baru Limau Kasturi Sungai Sirian Kampung Sungai Sirian Sungai Koyan Pan Malayan Gua Musang Depot Gua Musang Lapan Tupai Mentara Baru Kelantan Pahang border Merapoh Telok Gunong Kubang Rasa Sungai Temau Chegar Perah Aur Gading Dura Kampung Berkam Bukit Betong Telang Padang Tengku Kuala Lipis Depot Kuala Lipis Kerambit Mela Jerantut Yard Jerantut Jenderak Kuala Krau Kerdau Mentakab Yard Mentakab  ECR  Sungai Belengu Belengu Mengkarak Triang Kemayan Pahang Negeri Sembilan border Sungai Lui Ayer Hitam Kuala Pilah (closed 1931) Bahau Junction Bahau Jongkat Rompin Londah West Coast Line Gemas Junction Gemas  ETS

The East Coast railway line (ECRL) is a single-track metre gauge railway line in Malaysia that runs between the Gemas railway station in Negeri Sembilan and the Tumpat railway station in Kelantan. Gemas is the rail junction between the West Coast line and East Coast railway line. Like the West Coast railway line, it is called the East Coast railway line (Malaysia) because it serves two of Peninsular Malaysia's East Coast states, namely Pahang and Kelantan. In fact, it does not run along the coast at all and only meets the South China Sea when it terminates in Tumpat railway station. It runs through the interior, often through deep jungle, thus earning the nickname Jungle Railway. Terengganu is the only state in Peninsular Malaysia not served by the KTM railway network.^[1]

The East Coast Rail Link is planned to have an interchange with the ECRL at Mentakab and expand the railway network to the cities located in the East Coast, such as Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu.^[2]

History

The junction between the West Coast (left) and East Coast (right) lines north of Gemas. Most of the stretch of the West Coast line has been double tracked and electrified to make way for the ETS, a new higher-speed intercity service introduced by KTMB in 2010.

The East Coast rail line was discontinued due to floods which struck the east coast on 22 December 2014, causing extensive damage to the track infrastructure, signage equipment as well as track maintenance machinery which was submerged in water. In August 2020, Malaysian transport minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the government had allocated RM874.7m to upgrade track infrastructure and trains at the east coast sector and the railway should resume service by 2021.^[3]

On 12 April 2021, KTMB launched its KTM Class 61 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains for the east coast route between Kelantan and Pahang. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the DMU trains were being introduced specifically to replace KTM’s conventional diesel trains for the KTM Intercity East Coast rail link between Tumpat and Kuala Lipis. He claimed the new DMU will reduce travel time as the average speed of the train is about 100kph, compared to the conventional trains that run between 50kph and 60kph. The DMU trains, covering 216km from Tumpat and Gua Musang and 94km from Gua Musang to Kuala Lipis, would be fully operational in stages. The Tumpat-Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis route represents the first phase of the upgrading process. The second phase will cover routes to Gemas, Negri Sembilan, while the third phase will cover the Gua Musang-Mentakab stretch along the Pahang route.^[4]

Services

The East Coast railway line is served by a following:^[5]

• KTM Intercity
  • Ekspres Rakyat Timuran between Tumpat and JB Sentral.
    • The route between Gemas and JB Sentral is part of the West Coast Line while the route between Gemas and Tumpat is on the East Coast Line)
  • Shuttle Timur (stops at all stations and halts)
    • Between Tumpat and Dabong
    • Between Tumpat and Gua Musang
    • Between Tumpat and Kuala Lipis
    • Between Gua Musang and Kuala Lipis
    • Between Kuala Lipis and Gemas

Line network

Tumpat station, the northern terminus of the East Coast line

Gemas station, the southern terminus of the East Coast line

See also

• KTM West Coast railway line

References

Further reading

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Jungle Railway.

• Jungle Railway in Malaysia – The best train times and most scenic sections