Railway electrification in Malaysia

Railway electrification in Malaysia is a relatively recent development of rail transport in Malaysia. While the first railway in the country dates back to 1885, it was not until 3 August 1995 that the first electrified railway service, KTM Komuter, began operations.

The term "railway electrification" mainly refers to the project to electrify the Keretapi Tanah Melayu's West Coast Line from Padang Besar to Johor Bahru, combined with the duplication of the single-track line and the elimination of level crossings. As of November 2015, the stretch between Padang Besar and Gemas has been completed, with two electrified train services operating on the stretch: the KTM Komuter and the ETS.

Rapid transit and monorail systems in Malaysia are relatively new (the first of which is the Ampang Line on 16 December 1995); they are designed and built fully electrified and grade separated from the start.

The double-tracking and electrification of this 179 km stretch of the main West Coast Line has enabled Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd to run trains at a maximum speed of 160 km/h between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.

This project, which had been beset by problems and delays, was completed in early 2008 and electric train services along the stretch commenced in 2010, cutting the journey time between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh to 2.5 hours. This project has also enabled KTMB to extend its KTM Komuter service to Tanjung Malim.

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