Malaysia and Thailand are working together to restore a direct railway service between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok by the end of this year, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Photo via Berita Harian
As reported by Berita Harian, the revival of this international train route is highly feasible as it will make use of the existing railway line that connects Bangkok to Padang Besar, Butterworth, and eventually Kuala Lumpur, “Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) have been given three months to carry out initial preparations for launching the direct Kuala Lumpur–Bangkok service,” said Loke.
He noted that the project does not require the construction of new tracks, but instead relies heavily on effective coordination between both countries—particularly in marketing and ticketing efforts.
In addition to reviving this long-distance route, Thailand has also proposed extending railway services from Sungai Golok to Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas on the Malaysian side.
Loke shared these updates following a one-day working visit to Thailand, where he met with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Suriya Juangroongruangkit. During his visit, Loke also toured the Bang Sue Central Terminal and received a briefing on Thailand’s high-speed rail system.
Speaking on the proposed cross-border extension, Loke emphasised that preparations are needed before reactivating the disused tracks between Sungai Golok, Rantau Panjang, and Pasir Mas, “The tracks in Rantau Panjang and Sungai Golok have not been in use for some time, so conservation work on the railway line must be carried out first,” he explained.
He described the initiative as a promising step forward, one that could contribute to local economic growth and improve livelihoods for communities near the railway corridor.
