A new dedicated commuter service between Kulai and Johor Bahru will start in Q1 2026, using existing train sets to offer 32 daily trips and a 20-minute journey.
JOHOR BAHRU: The Transport Ministry plans to launch a dedicated commuter service for the Kulai–Johor Bahru route in the first quarter of next year.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the service will utilise existing Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) train sets and coaches previously used for the Gemas–Johor Bahru shuttle.
“While waiting for new train sets, we will optimise the existing coaches,” Loke told a press conference after the Gemas–Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track completion ceremony.
He said the coaches used between Gemas and Johor Bahru will be realigned for the new Kulai–Johor Bahru route.
The commuter service will significantly increase train frequency, with the journey taking only about 20 minutes.
Under the new schedule, 16 services to Johor Bahru and 16 services to Kulai will operate daily.
This will result in frequencies of almost every half hour.
The initiative aims to encourage residents to shift to public transport, reducing congestion and reliance on private vehicles.
Meanwhile, approvals for the Automated Rapid Transit (ART) system project in Johor are still under discussion.
Loke said implementation details are expected to be finalised soon.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi have also discussed the matter.
The Johor government had previously requested the Federal Government expedite the ART project’s implementation by early next year.
Earlier, Loke said the Gemas–Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track project marks a major achievement for public transport.
He said the project will enhance Johor Bahru’s appeal as an industrial and logistics hub.
It is also expected to generate indirect job opportunities in logistics and ancillary services around the new stations.
