KTMB, Malaysia’s national railway network, continues to expand with the addition of two new shuttle lines in Southern Johor state opened on 16th June 2026. They’re wasting no time while waiting for ridership to rise on this new Shuttle Selatan (Southern Shuttle), before adding extra stations to extend the JB Sentral/Kulai service. The Shuttle Selatan extends to Paloh from 8th Aug with some timetable changes to the original service to cope with the extra distance. The timetable has been set up to enable commuters to get to and from work easily, whether they work or study in Johor Bahru, Kempas/Kempas Baru, Kulai or Pasir Gudang or across the Causeway in Singapore.
Shuttle extends to Paloh – what you need to know
While workers and students are the main ‘target audience’, the extension of the line to include Layang-Layang, Rengam, Kluang and Paloh, will also benefit those needing to do business along the way or in Johor Bahru, as well as weekend visitors. The expansion of the service is expected to boost public mobility while reducing reliance on private vehicles as each train is able to accommodate up to 400 passengers.
In a statement released on 4th August, the KTMB spokesman noted that the extension is a strategic initiative by the Transport Ministry (MOT) to provide a direct rail link between suburban areas and the key economic hubs of Kulai and JB Sentral. It added that:
…. The expansion, implemented less than three months after the initial phase, will traverse the central Johor corridor by utilising part of the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double-Track Project (PLBEGJB) alignment.
Timings
The service will operate five daily return trips as per the current arrangement between JB Sentral and Kulai, of two return services each, morning and evening and one return service in the middle of the day, however the timing will change.
The first service from Paloh will depart at 3.55 am, arriving at JB Sentral at 5.52 am, while the last train from JB Sentral will leave at 8.30 pm and reach Paloh at 10.27 pm. You can open and download the latest Shuttle Selatan timetable (scroll to the bottom left of the screen). The early morning and evening schedules are designed to support the needs of daily commuters, including workers continuing their journey to Singapore via the Johor Bahru border crossing.
Connecting services will continue to be available at Kempas Baru Station, allowing passengers to transfer to the Kempas Baru-Pasir Gudang-Kempas Baru route, thereby strengthening connectivity between the Paloh-Kluang-Kulai-Johor Bahru corridor and the Pasir Gudang industrial area.
Promotional Fares
The currently available promotional fares for the Southern Shuttle service will remain in place until new electric trains are delivered, although no confirmation of a timeline was available. This sees travellers paying a promotional one-way fare of RM7.70 on the the Paloh-JB Sentral line, reduced from RM15.30. In addition, MyRailLife Pass, which offers free travel for children aged four to six, students from Year One to Form Six, and persons with disabilities (PwDs), will be extended to cover the Southern Shuttle service from 8th Aug to 31st Dec. Eligible Malaysian Citizens can apply via the KTMB Official Website or the KITS mobile app (download from this page).
images©ET
This Post Has 0 Comments