The Gemas - Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track Project (EDTP) is the final stretch of the existing Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) network to be upgraded from a single track to an electrified double track and, once complete, there will be a continuous connection running from the southern tip of the peninsula all the way to Padang Besar at the Thai border.

The RM 9.5 billion, 192km Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double Track (EDT) project will increase train speeds from Johor Bahru to Gemas, enabling journeys from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baharu within less than 4 hours. The project completion is scheduled for 2023 while the first sections will be available in 2022.

The Project is touted as a catalyst that will spur economic development in the central part of Johor. Once operational, residents living in towns along the route will be able to commute daily to Johor Bahru. This transport option would be increasingly attractive if KTMB decides to provide hourly or half-hourly commuter services, similar to the KTMB Komuter services on offer in the Klang Valley and between northern Perak and Perlis. Drawing reference from completed EDTP projects, the KTMB Northern Commuter has a daily ridership of 16,000.

With the upgrades, the line’s freight capacity would also expand considerably. An electrified and double-tracked railway network between Gemas and Johor Bahru would also facilitate large-scale cargo shipments between Malaysia’s two largest ports — Port Klang near Kuala Lumpur and Tanjung Pelepas west of Johor Bahru.

Upon completion, KTMB will operate the electric train service (ETS) with a maximum speed of 140km/h with an average traveling speed of around 100km/h. Consequently, traveling time between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru will be shortened from the current seven hours to four hours. The ETS will provide an attractive alternative to express buses, which currently requires four-and-a-half hours to travel between the two cities even without traffic congestion.

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