Kuala Lumpur’s AMAZINGLY Unique Transit Network!
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- Опубліковано 27 жов 2023
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When you think rapid transit, Kuala Lumpur is probably not the first city that comes to mind. But with a big and growing system, should it be? Find out in today’s video!
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Special thanks to Urbanist Wanderer (@UrbyWanderer), Daryl DC, Cheong Sze Hoong Zac, and HedgePrism for providing valuable footage and insights for this video!
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Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!
Reece (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.
ICYMI, my Substack article with another angle to it!
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If only the rest of Malaysia had just as good rail infrastruction as KL
@@user-op8fg3ny3j only penang Island warrants a rail system besides kl in Malaysia. Other towns are not dense enough to justify the cost
@@revolusirevolusi-jw7tn "not dense enough" Maybe the kampung areas, true. But the towns that are constantly congested with traffic could do with something like a tram
I request you to make a video about the Lahore Orange line Train.
KL is the most car-dependent city I've ever visited (I have not travelled the US). The metro was okay but once you get out you are usually met with massive highways immdietly outside the station exit
For a country that is built with the car-centric mindset (e.g. subsidized fuels, build more highways than it needs to etc.) and downplaying almost any transit-oriented projects in fear of, among other things, the lack of political support and/or backlash from, somewhat hypocritical, car-centric individuals until being pressured to do so, I hardly find this surprising.
My mom's from Malaysia, and I've visited maybe a dozen times, trust me the us is way worse in a lot of places, and kl has the hardest part, the rail transit, a lot of the us doesn't even have that even in major cities
Sounds like Miami with its Metrorail!
I’m from Greater KL area, and my city council announced theyre building another highway to accommodate the massive traffic. Unfortunately, they will demolish the pedestrian bridge connecting the nearby train station to a mall. But yeap, making the town more walkable is sort of an afterthought for malaysian public officers.
@@sarah.713 More highways, more induced demand for cars, thus more traffic jams. They'll never learn...
KL's transit network is very much a work-in-progress state and not as mature as Hong Kong or Singapore, but hopefully it will get there one day. Thanks for this well-researched video.
I think it will get there and can get there!
@@RMTransit Hi, I've been directly involved in urban railway construction (STAR LRT 1 Ph 1, KL Monorail, KLMRT 1, Dubai Metro Red and Green lines amongst others). The biggest challenges, in my opinion, in the Klang Valley are the lack of political will, NIMBY attitude by local residence and much higher cost per km compared to comparable Metro project elsewhere. Last but not least are the the maintenance culture or the lack thereof and lack of secondary supporting infrastructure. Anyway my 2 sens worth.
It will be there.
Compare to HK & Singapore, it's going to beat them.
But can't beat Japan.
HK & Singapore covers smaller area compared to greater KL. Include kajang/Putrajaya to Klang.
Japan covers the whole countries.
China trainline are getting better than Japan.
yes, and its already good despite being a work-in-progress as an user myself. Monorails in Malaysia is dissapointing tho with 10 minutes every train instead of MRT and LRT shorter time for each trains
@@ravendranrasalingam490 i see, MRT 1 still "goodly" mantained tho
Don't mind a little fanboyism here, but the way you always get local pronunciations spot on is truly admirable! Shows how much effort you put into your content! Cheers!
i wanna say that too. He actually pronounced the malay words rather correctly!
i love the guy and i love the vid, but nah it got butchered.
I lived 15 years in Malaysia, some of it in KL. Once you are actually on the trains they are great and there's a lot to like about many of the stations, but as you mention, accessibility is often complicated. In the greater sprawl of the Klang Valley even getting to a station might often necessitate a car trip, or a very long, slow and circuitous bus ride. Changing lines can often be a nightmare, sometimes meaning leaving the station and walking to another station. At one stage you even had to buy separate tickets for each line (maybe still?). KL is without a doubt the most pedestrian unfriendly city I have ever lived in, and since all transit users are pedestrians at least some of the time it makes the city unnecessarily difficult to navigate. Not every LRT station has a bus stop, so linking onto a bus route can involve a long hot perilous walk along KLs famously pavement-free roads. All of which leaves many people to ignore the public transport system almost entirely and opt for the relative comfort of an air-conditioned car, even if it means longer travel times due to traffic. Kesian.
they have integrated ticketing since like 2011 after they restructured into one operator, the metros that is. The suburban commuter rail is still a separate operator as they use the intercity rails.
I'm totally agree with you
@@sjneow At least they can be accessed via Touch n Go cards, but that's saying something.
@@SyahmiAsyraffYTUntil recently it was quite a hassle to top up TnG cards. They even have a top up fee... 😡
" At one stage you even had to buy separate tickets for each line"
you could get an electronic card( touch and go) with money on it( like the London oyster card) and you would simply swipe it.
I've never found KL to be pedestrian unfriendly , I would point to the US or some older parts of Europe for that..
I lived near Kuala Lumpur (in Bandar Sunway) for three years (2009-2011) while studying at Monash. At that time, the KL Monorail was still on 2-car trains, the Kelana Jaya LRT stopped at Kelana Jaya KJ24, and there was no BRT in Sunway. There was the remains of a short-lived monorail system that circulated around Sunway though, with the tracks decaying and the two trains mothballed in the depot which was right next to Monash. When I returned to Malaysia in 2016, so much had changed in 5 years. I rode the Sunway BRT, the Kelana Jaya line extension, and experienced the 4-car KL Monorail trains. Truly mindblowing, especially seeing how much Sunway had changed in just 5 years.
Hey, a fellow Monashian! 🫡
Ingatkan Monash Australia,rupanya Malaysia
too bad the rakyat didn't appreciate what i did for the country
Oh wow, had no idea the LRT did not service USJ back then. I was lucky to have taken it just at 2016
Bandar Sunway not in KL dude
KL is worth talking about because what do you do if you live in a sprawling sunbelt U.S. city that’s been shaped by cars, but you realize that’s not the future you want? The KL answer is to allow high rises near highways and then build rail transit above the highways. (Btw, the monorail isn’t that great for KL residents, but tourists can get a hotel or Airbnb next to it and take it to a lot of places you’ll want to go.)
I'm surprised at myself for never having formed that perspective before! Very interesting thought experiment indeed, though admittedly, the probability of that becoming reality in the US is doubtful, at least for the near future
@@imagonnasah8319 I don’t think it’s a huge stretch for U.S. sunbelt cities to do rail & high rises on highways. Building elevated above highways solves a lot of right of way issues and keeps costs lower. Most land near highways is zoned commercial, which is the easiest to convert to dense residential. The obstacle is the reluctance of most transit enthusiasts to favor either highway-attached elevated lines or dense residential near highways. Kuala Lumpur is functioning as proof of concept. The advantages and disadvantages are on display in KL.
Yes the KL monorail was just to move people from the KL Sentral main terminal to the CBD area.
other than monorail being under heavy bad mantainence, everything else is great (other than busses in Suburbs because the time its not frequent for a short loop*
@@oooshafiqooo4722the Kajang line MRT is also starting to get a little rough, Bukit Bintang station entrances is getting vandalized to hell, with lamps and map boards completely torn off, the trains themselves doesn't stop perfectly on the PSD, (some parts of the door is blocked by the gates), hopefully RapidKL fix these issues since it's going to degrade their reputation.
KL started planning for Mass Rapid Transit in the early 1990s. Malaysia also hosted to Commonwealth Games in 1998. They wanted the 2 LRT lines to be completed for that. To achieve this, they decided to give the contracts to two different consortiums, which had two separate trains. One by Bombardier and the other by ADTranz which were two separate companies at that time. As a result, you had two different systems in Kuala Lumpur.
Im a Melakan (2 hours drive south of kl), it's a shame only KL has good public transport in Malaysia.
Yeah, I visited some of the other Malaysian states a few years ago and I was rather surprised just how lacking public transportation was everywhere other than KL...
the british model
Hopefully the Melaka monorail gets an upgrade and retrofitted into an actual transit mode, Melaka has some huge potential for public transport.
Johor Bahru can push to have its own urban rail network, especially given its unique location just right across Singapore 😅 plus it will be timely given that Sultan Ibrahim of Johor will become Yang-di Pertuan Agong next year.
The populations of Greater Penang, Ipoh and Malacca City though have all exceeded 500,000 as well, enough to have at least one rail line.
@@suhandatanker I would prefer greater bus frequency to a monorail upgrade, as I think Melaka lacks the population density for that.
But busses on the other hand, near my taman/suburb, there's like one bus every hour or every 2 hours, that's absurd. You're definitely right on the potential part.
Honestly the speed of expansion of KL's transit is insane. 10 years ago the system looked like an infant, then somehow 2 new lines were completed and various extensions in that time.
I didn't think anyone would ride the trains, now I see KL as a transit usable (kinda... the buses still need improvement)
Agreed, but after the government changed it's different now, only 3 line are scheduled for opening until 2030, and 2 of the line (PY line and SA line) are heavily downgraded because of cost cutting exercise after the government takeover, the other one the loop line are not even approved yet
It’s a work in progress.
Suddenly, the planners realised the priority
KL Transit IMO has so much potential for more ridership, as said in the video we dont plan for transit oriented development. I see that most areas that are near a transit station have a lack of connectors such as adequate buses or better pedestrian infrastucture
Additionally, one key part of the transit system is that the entire rail and bus network uses a single unified payment card like the japanese SUICA (Touch N Go). This card also serves as the payment card for highways. I believe if the transit is better, we could see more people move to it as the payment structure is familiar
For my fellow Malaysians, we should push for TOD to not get stuck in our traffic jams, and also rail transit for other states too like Penang and Melaka
i legit thought that KL imported the SUiCA system for it's payment ticketing system for a brief second.
But wait Touch n Go. So you can both pay your tolls and trains with the same card?
KTM Komuter is especially heavily underutilized. The lack of frequent service, feeder transports, and transit-oriented developments result in the miserable ridership of 15k/day. Meanwhile the Jakarta's counterpart KAI Commuterline aims for 2 million passenggers/day by 2025 (currently it hovers around 1.2 m/day). Heck, you don't even need to compare to Jakarta; even Bandung has a better quality of suburban service and it's not electrified yet.
yeah
TOD is critical, regarding integrated payment at this point I consider that table stakes!
@@yukko_parrayes, you can also pay for food and whatever at gas stations, highway foodcourt stops. and shops that supports it, like 7-eleven or KK store.
I live in Penang. Public transport is cheap but ineffective. George Town is car-centric.Traffic is a real issue. It not pedestrian friendly.
I like Malaysia; every place has its drawbacks.
The rapidpenang integrated transport will be constructed in 2024
hopefully the Penang LRT will be underway soon, especially the island which is hell trying to cross traffic, Georgetown is slightly calmer but transport isn't really any better..
Penang used to have a streetcar system until the 1960s, when it was dismantled in favour of motor buses. Then we had Mahathir with his vision of the country becoming a major producer of cars, and we know the rest...
@@jonathantan2469 and now some weird NIMBYs are trying to block the Penang LRT project for some reason.
Absolutely, room to improve on public transit doesn't necessarily say things about other elements of the country!
When I´ve been to KL a few weeks ago I wanted to go to a mall that was just two stations on the LRT from my Hotel. The station at the hotel was just across the highway but I couldn't find an obvious way there or any signage so I asked the concierge who basically just told me to take a taxi there. I found a way after all and took it and it was quite good tbh. That pretty much sums it up. The system itself isn't too bad and you can get to a lot of places but KL just isn't walkable enough to make it work.
I know what you are talking about. I stayed at a hotel in Damansara that was right above an MRT station. There was also a residential suburb within walking distance... except that there was an expressway in between, with high barriers. Anyone living in that suburb who wanted to use the station would need to take a long walk until they came to a offramp/onramp section & junction where they could 'cross' the expressway.
What was the name of the hotel? Just curious 😂
Is it phileo damansara😮😮
Yeah that is truly insane!
Almost everything in kuala lumpur was build elevated and not pedestrians friendly
I was stuck in Malaysia during initial Pandemic lockdown and ended up staying for 6 months. In that time I came to know the KL rapid transit system very well and have actually been to every station, one of the last things I did before I left. Great system! Very affordable and getting better all the time. BTW, there is a very useful grade separated tram from the huge bus station which will take you into the centre - which I used often.
A grade seperated tram? May I get information on this? As far as I know there was never a tram in Malaysia since the colonial era.
I don't think that is a tram tho. That is actually one of the metros but with a smaller gauge. The metro is called the Sri Petaling/Ampang Line.
@@misykatrahman9106 I'm confused because APL/SPL LRT looks way too big to resemble a tram with its high floor and dedicated platforms...oh well 😅
You are right - somehow I seemed to recall it being referred to as a tram or streetcar somewhere@@suhandatanker
That's right.@@misykatrahman9106
The transit network in KL is pretty okay in my book. I've lived in The Netherlands before, although not comparable, KL is not too bad, especially in recent years after the inception of the MRT lines. The problem is always the first and last mile.
Bus lines I hear have improved a lot. Im not a frequent user of the bus network in KL, because I can never know where the bus will end up, as there are lacking pathway maps being displayed at bus stops. I think majority of people who use the bus are only exposed to the singular bus line that connect their homes to the nearest transit line.
KL just need to solve the first and last mile problem, and make pedestrian walkways safe, comfortable and sheltered from the elements (trees with thick canopies would be my preferred method). Malaysia in general is ultra humid and people prefer driving because walking out under the sun to the nearest bus stop or train station is really not enjoyable.
ultra humid is an understatement, especially as we enter the monsoon season, i keep a foldaway raincoat, rain pants, umbrella, and my shoes have always been waterproof just cause thats what it takes to keep dry when trying to move around by bike/foot here (Penang), and its too hot anyway even in the rain so you just end up drenched in sweat if not rain because raincoats give poor ventilation.
Malaysian here, this is a very interesting video, as I haven't actually explored the various branches of the network, keeping only to my route, so in a way I get to explore it through this video.
The main problem with the public transportation system in Malaysia, and the factor which will inhibit its development the most, is the last mile connection. Within the city itself there are sidewalks, albeit small and poorly maintained the further out of the city you get. Once you exit the city centre, there is basically no way to travel if you don't have some sort of motor transportation.
The best example of this that I can personally vouch for is the connection between the station closest to my house, which is only about a 10 minute drive away. The lack of parking at this station, as well as the existence of several converging bus lines, also run by RapidKL, at this station, would make you think that taking the bus from my neighborhood to this station is the best option. However, the reality is a bit more disappointing as the 10 minute drive that it would take to go from the bus stop on the outskirts of my housing estate would take roughly an hour and 40 minutes by bus, delays and traffic notwithstanding. Using smaller personal transportation such as scooters or bicycles are also out of the question as the two heavily populated areas are separated by a major highway with next to no formal crossing points, as well as the general lack of sidewalks and intelligence needed to not run over people/be run over.
This fact is being improved somewhat as some newer high-rise developments are marketing and building elevated, covered walkways to the nearest transit stations, although whether this will become the norm will have to be seen. Personally, I think this and building housing developments around stations are the only ways to really drive usage and further development of the transit system in Malaysia, similar to how the Chongqing transit network has developed in China, although that will come with its own set of challenges.
Just to end this really long comment, I'm just a regular guy who can only comment on what he has seen by himself, and as such I can be very wrong on many things, so apologies in advance if something I said here is wrong
I've been following your channel quite sometime already and I'm genuinely happy that Kuala Lumpur is featured. It's well researched and explained it quite deeply surprisingly to me, thankyou. In the Greater Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan area, the main problem are we have too many unnecessary highways and overpass, also indirectly cause to have bad pedestrian connection, to know how useless some of the highways are that some newly build highways are legit mostly empty. Lack of pedestrian access are a problem nationwide. It'll get worst and worst if you exit the Lembah Klang area (cities like Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Alor Setar), alot of it doesn't even have a decend transit bus system, don't even get me started with East Malaysia and the 3 East coast states.
Thank you for making this video about the Malaysian Rapid Transit System🥺❤ As a Malaysian train enthusiast, I'm feel greatful that we have a great public transport system bad sadly the most Malaysians couldn't rely on public transport due to poor efficiency and also most Malaysians only rely on driving instaed of taking the public tranport😔 By the way, for MRT Kajang Line's trains we have a name called 'The Guiding Light'😉 And yes... You are right the MRT Putrajaya Line's train looks like a duck and this is why most of the Malaysian train enthusiasts called the MRT Putrajaya Line's train 'Ducky' and originally I used called the MRT Putrajaya Line's train 'The Ugly Duckling' but I realize that the name is too long so I decided to called the MRT Putrajaya Line's train 'Ducky' instead🤭🦆
Recent trips on the public transport, atleast by rail has been pretty efficient and punctual but i cant vouch for busses tho. Ngl our public transit are decent just that our pedestrian infra are lacking. 100% if our ped infra is better i'd be walking more.
@@flamingchuucygnet8983 they should increase the frequency and extend their services deeper into Tamans and Residential areas, especially areas like setiawangsa and UKAY Perdana which barely even has a bus system, you'll be lucky if it arrives on time 💀
@@suhandatanker Exactly
The main `problem for the KL Rapid Transit System is their buses and lack of pedestrian access, other than those two their MRT, LRT and BRT are amazing!!! KTM Komuter pls improve istg
@@tooyunyioscar3828 I had to wait 1 hour for my KTM komuter from KL sentral to mid valley...I could've just take a RapidBus and call a grab car and go there faster..
The issue with KL transit is quite an interesting story, really, and all related to politics. The Monorail was an afterthought. It was there just to feed political cronies. Similarly the Ampang/Seri Petaling Line & Kelana Jaya Line were originally operated by political cronies as well, hence the incompatible train systems and lack of connectivity. For example, if you want to switch trains at Masjid Jamek Station, you had to exit the station & buy another ticket!
Then, when those cronies gave up, the government had to bail out the companies and merged them under Rapid KL. Only then can they start integrating the two system into one. And with the extension of both lines all the way to the suburb of Putra Heights, you can finally transfer trains by just switching platforms.
As for the BRT, it's a private project covering the Sunway area (named after the developer of the area, Sunway).
Always happy to see an analysis of transit outside of Europe and NA. Would love to see transit of Africa too!
I always enjoy covering cities in Asia!
Thank you for featuring our system! I'm truly amazed at the sheer amount of information you delivered in such a comprehensive package. Thanks for also pointing out some of the flaws in the system and as a commuter on the KTM, I can absolutely relate to the infrequent service and track works, as trains are slower than ever. Hopefully the government will get their hands on the issues and get it fixed soon!
Thanks for watching, as always I wanted to make something comprehensive!
KTM runs on a traditional rail track from before independence 1957. It is shared with normal rail and cargo trains. Sure KTM cargo train now is really rare but the line is congested without many sideways to let other train pass.
Ur viewer from Malaysia here, but not kl, instead johor state... I do sometimes go to KL just to ride our MRTs and LRT and monorel.... And then took bus back to my town before night... Hate to acknowledge that besides KL, no Malaysians city has any transit network like KL
The biggest problem of Southeast Asian social development is how it must be sponsored by oligarchies.
@@babangteo2853 You do realize RapidKL is government owned and all our projects are majority government funded?
@@redballthingDecided under oligarchs' perspectives. You should understand Malaysian politics, better and better. It is no different than Indonesian politics, except a lot of Jakartans have only a half of intelligence.
@@babangteo2853is that also true for the UK? Since it also has abysmal public transport outside of London
@@cooltwittertag Different regions, different cases. I can't comment by myself on UK.
THANK YOU REESE! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
For highlighting the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System! :D
Thanks for watching!
Finally! Been waiting for this video for so long
Finally! Thank you for doing this😊
I can’t believe u made such an extensive video abt our transit system! It was truly educational & fun to watch 😆 very well made & insightful!
Let's go Malaysia, didn't expect you would talk about KL Transit
Of course! Had to get to it eventually!
The big Achilles heel is last mile connectivity. With an infrequent and inconsistent feeder bus network, it’s difficult to get onto the last leg home. More frequent minibuses/vans serving the station catchment areas would help tremendously in creating an effective door to door transit experience.
RapidKL, the operator of Kuala Lumpur Public Transport System is an acronym. In Malay it is 'RAngkaian Pengangkutan Intergrasi Deras Kuala Lumpur' translated to 'Kuala Lumpur Integrated Rapid Transport Network'
Yay! Been waiting for a Klang valley transit explained video for ages!
Me too😭
I hope it was worth the wait!
This video came just in time as I will be in KL soon. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this amazing video. I found this super informative.
I'm a Malaysian who's lived in the Klang Valley for 7 years and once lived in Chicago for about 3 years. I used the transit a lot more in Chicago (usually out of necessity), but some of the things I appreciate about Chicago's metro system in comparison to Malaysia's are the U-PASS (student only, but essentially a monthly free pass), flat rates for every ride (double-edged sword, but more value the farther you go) and its pedestrian-centric approach (less parking for those who drive to a station, but it means less land used per station and more room for pedestrians).
Yaaaaaay. Been waiting for this one! One of the most interesting systems in the world.
Thanks reeceeee been waiting for this one for a while
Thanks for watching!
Very detailed and comprehensive analysis! Bravo!
Finally you mentioned KL, i was just from vacation there two weeks ago, the transit system and even urbanism there was off the chart.
I've mentioned it a lot in videos! While the transit is good I would not say the "urbanism" is good, not friendly enough to people outside of a vehicle!
What i meant was walkability, at least at the city centre, is incredible (which i CANNOT say the same about Jakarta). I was staying at at a hotel just across the street from KLCC, and everything i need to get was at walking proximity (PS: The nearest station from my hotel was inside KLCC, just taking few escalators to the lower level and it has all amenities you need, from food court, money exchange, atm, grocery store, etc.), yes the traffic was heavy sometimes, but not to the point of becoming stressful. And don't get me started talking about Putrajaya. It is the administrative center of Malaysia, while KL is the commercial centre so that factored into the quiteness. That makes it more livable environment for me, because even though urbanism there does not checked all the boxes, i think their government intentionally designed the city to not being entirely car-centric and focuses more on reducing cars instead of building safer infrastructures for bicycles.
One of my annoyance with the MRT Putrajaya is the fact that the two Cyberjaya station; 'Cyberjaya City Centre' is built at the perimeter of Cyberjaya, not the center. The only practical way to access it is by cars or bus (30 mins gaps between each buses). The other station, 'North Cyberjaya' is built literally on the same stretch of road just 1 KM apart.
I lived in KL in the mid-90s when rapid transit was just getting started. In those days most "rapid transit" consisted of as many members of the family one could cram onto a motor scooter.
The mini-bus era! 😅
Nice research and pronounciations! This only other thing i might add is that the monthly pass for citizens using the RapidKL system inclusive of the trains and buses is MYR 50 which is way way underpriced, encouraging so many people to take public transit that the system can't cope with it sometimes.
Used to be 30 ringgit also, but 50 ringgit is okay la for a month of unlimited transit use.
You forgot to mention that Monash University is pretty much ON the BRT line and is the main connection to the rest of the network. A LOT of students use it (including myself), used it a lot to get groceries, to my friend's apartment, the hospital, Sunway mall etc. It was a great system, but only if it was rail it'd be better.
Well since the BRT line wasn’t that long, I would say that a rail system wouldn’t be necessary and it would cut cost to maintain it. I think BRT was build as an alternative to buses on roads that would be likely stuck in traffic jams *ahem Da Men mall intersection ahem*. So having an overhead bridge specifically for e-buses would help to speed up travelling time for commuters. The bridge may not look pretty but it works right.
@@whatisnot1926 As far as I remember there was a monorail there that wasn't very successful.
I would say instead of wasting space on the long station ride from ss18-usj 7 they couldve have just gone from ss15 go to sunway pyramid and have the line turn into Sun med & monash then straight into Usj 1 then continue normally from there. But instead uses Brt as a solution for a busy bandar sunway than an actual kelana jaya line to cater for sunway also
well made video!! as a malaysian myself who takes the lrt very often since young, I love watching this content as I could learn so much more from what I already know about my own country! Thank You !! :D
I don't normally comment on videos but just had to say kudos and keep up the good work. I live in KL and basically familiar with all this but was still super impressed!! Great job
Thank you! This is super informative!
Looking at the amazing network of public transport in the Klang Valley,it really amaze me despite the fact that I'm a Malaysian(I'm from Pahang,which does not have these kind of convenience,just buses,but still, traffic congestions are becoming more and more common eveey day).
But things are gonna be more exciting soon with LRT 3 Shah Alam line which is scheduled to fully open by 2025. It will be near perfect with the East Coast Rail Link(ECRL) project which run from the states of Kelantan,Terengganu,Pahang to Gombak and Port Klang. Can't wait to see more videos on Klang Valley's transit explanation.
Thanks for watching, I think most of the improvements that need to be made at this point are to the policies surrounding transit rather than the transit itself!
Great video! Thanks.
Good point on the urban planning of the Klang Valley, and Malaysia in general; a lot of the space directly next to stations are 'wasted'. Many of them in relatively low density areas, disconnected from their nearest town centres. And a relatively high emphasis on park and rides. And it also doesnt help that the Greater Klang Valley area is under the jurisdiction of many different city and town councils.
But generally, your video has left me walking away feeling pretty optimistic for our future over here. We have got a good base here from which to work on for a more transit-heavy future.
"disconnected from their nearest town centres. "
it was usually too expensive and local politics( plus the odd wealthy Malaysian who wants a cut) obstructed the attempt to connect them to the nearest town centres.
my sister in law used to tell me that Malaysian politicians were a pain in the back side( and shes now married to one !!!)
Absolutely the potential for the future is good, just need to start getting rid of park and rides and replacing them with places people can live and travel to!
@@RMTransit that wont work given the nature of the housing market in KL, eg quality,cost, failed projects, housing bubble
@@TheRahsoft disagree, it can work somehow, and thats how our government is going, if you research more about the two new lines, especially the future MRT3 Laluan Lingkaran, most stations are in rural undevelopt area, is would say this is to natuarally draw more people to invest and developt in those places.
@@TheRahsoft New houses are already being built, and normally with a huge tonne of parking (you see all those new condos where 1/3 the height of the building seems to just be parking?)
What we are talking about is just where we choose to prioritise building first. And maybe, in the buildings nearest to train stations, we build it without as many parking spaces (Parking also adds to the cost of construction and housing prices. One parking floor needs to handle more weight than one residential floor).
And at the same time, we prioritise building sidewalks to/from train stations so that people living nearby can leave their cars at home and walk to the station. There was this video that went viral where this guy show how he walks to the station. On the side of a busy road with no sidewalk, on a dirt path up a slope, on roads with no pedestrian crossing (so you have to figure out the traffic light pattern yourself and dodge cars).
absolutely love the MRT Kajang line, I always use that line to get to Major malls like OU, Mytown (Ikea) and Pasar Seni. Though really wished they would place an MRT at Malaysia's biggest mall (IOI Putrajaya) since it gets really hectic at times over there
Take the MRT to Putrajaya Sentral & take the T523 Rapid, it will drop you off directly at IOI City Mall
@@tiadaid its actually more reliable to take the bus line to the kajang station in my experience believe it or not
@adlifiruz808 I know right
The commercial mall owners know the value of a transit station, they need to be well connected to the people in power to influence them to reroute the line. Lol.
From where i live i have to depend on the abysmal reliability of the bus service since most pedestrian walkways are either dilapidated or completely non-existent outside the bustling city, usually with overgrown roots and damaged roofs which gets very uncomfortable in the blazing heat or wet seasons.
Not great, a bad experience for pedestrians means the beginning of PT journeys are not great . . .
@@RMTransit If you do have some spare time I'd ask you to check out the T-223 bus route which runs through the setiawangsa business district, there was no pedestrian crossing or bridge, so you would have to cross an active avenue which has their lanes seperated by concrete curbs and bushes, which is amusingly nicknamed "the bush paths" by locals, at the AEON Mall in AU2 you would have to cross a busy intersection and risk getting hit by a car just to head to the mall. Sometimes all the bus "station" has to offer is a short signboard with a bus logo, not even a proper signboard to show you the route information or schedule..
At last...tq for this post ❤
Love the aesthetic of these trains
Thank you🙂
There are a lot of good looking ones!
Love your work Reese!
Thank you!
Great to hear ur perspective that it can still be optimistic to further develop the system!
Thanks so much for this video, @RMTransit !
@RMTransit
I live in Kuala Lumpur and I love your video because you introduced my city very well
FINALLY! A vid about Malaysia's Klang Valley Integrated Transit System by RMTransit.
I hope it was worth the wait!
fantastic video. as a KL native, I've learned more about our transit system from your video than from the official channels. I'll have to admit that i'm mainly a car person living in an area that does not have have any trains nearby and having a very poor and inconsistent bus service.
KL is a beautiful and super diverse city with real potentials to be a global destination. Two main things are needed in my opinion. First, highlighting to others what does the city (and Malaysia in general) have through social media and other marketing channels, and second, enhance the walkability in the city by improving pavements and walking pathways everywhere.
What timing... going to KL in less than 3 weeks! Love and support from SG
Been waiting for an overview video of my country transit system! I do hope this video picks up so it would change the public perception on how effective a good transit system will be if done right. Malaysia as a country is 100% dependent on cars. Even me myself had to drive to closest train station because lack of connectivity
I've lived in KL, grew up in KL and have been in and out for the past 10+ years living abroad. I've no clue that KL even has a such a developed metro system. Back then we had the KTM, a very overcrowded monorail, the airport train and the LRT lines which were significantly shorter than it is today. It's very positive to see what 10 years allows for such an extensive metro system connecting under developed suburban areas. I think it's because we have been massively dependent on driving as the primary mode of transport. Thanks to you I've discovered so much more about my own home. But one more development you've missed out is the East Coast Rail, which is about 50% complete at the time of writing, and extends hundreds of kilometers towards the border town with Thailand on the East Coast with high speed trains.
origin kuala lumpurian here... BRAVO KL..... GOOD JOB KL.. AND WELCOME TO KL
Thank you very much for making this video. I have followed you for over a couple of years now and have enjoyed most of your videos.
Your description of KL’s system is pretty good and accurate. The one major flaw of why public transport in general here does not work despite the fancy rail technology is the fact that it is built by people who don’t actually use transit themselves. None of the leaders and higher level staff of RapidKL use their own system for their daily commutes.
The weakest link in the entire transit system is the bus service. Once the backbone of KL’s public transport, it has withered down to its pathetic state over the last 2 decades. Both RapidKL and the Ministry of Transport have not heard of the concept of “frequency is freedom”. With the exception of a handful of bus routes, most run at intervals of 30-40 minutes and sometimes even 60 minutes. You take the fancy trains and get to the station closest to your destination, only to have to wait for up to 40 minutes for the feeder bus to get you to where you need to go. Most people end up opting for ride share services but these get very expensive if taken regularly. The busses also rarely stick to time and the drivers have been known to skip stops that require them to exit the main thoroughfare or highway they’re on. I personally have waited for busses that never arrived and ended up going back home and driving instead.
The govt is running free busses in various municipalities of the Klang Valley and that’s great. Some of their services are frequent and help a lot of commuters but the resources put into running a free service could be better spent on maintaining and updating their fleet of busses and ensuring services are run frequently.
Good overview explanation.
Well researched and unbiased
Wow finally my country👍👍
Great video about kl transit system
no joke this seems eerily reminiscent of LA's transit system. inland CBD (DTLA) with mostly radial lines consisting of a wacky mix of LRT, subway, busways, and infrequent suburban lines that dont connect to each other very well. if we get the monorail thru the sepulveda pass then itll be spot on
I like that you do a different cities from around the world, and that you do them well.
Errata: For Line 9, the station that connects with KL Sentral is named Muzium Negara , and the interchanging station with Line 3 in east KL is Maluri, not Cochrane.
Wait. So that means from KL Sentral I can go straight to the National Museum? Nice.
@@ianhomerpura8937yup, if your legs are in good shape that is...
great informative video!
As someone who rides the public transport here in Malaysia, I really like how I can go anywhere with mrt & lrt without driving since its always congested here so I'd rather just take the train then arrive somewhere near my destination. The only downside is that it's not pedestrian friendly and you need to drive to the stations
Finally a video on KL
Being a public transit enthusiast and having use most of the lines, if not all, I completely agree with your assessment. Interestingly I use to live in Canada and travel around for work in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal a fair bit. I would say that KL rail transit system is pretty decent if compared side by side with them. Of course it cannot compare with Singapore's MRT which is by far one of the best and well plan rail transit system in the world.
Nice sharing
Thanks for mentioning kl transit
i've been to KL twice and as a tourist living in the center area and going to the most popular areas, the metro system was good.
The most enjoyable part of KL's transport network is the Kelana Jaya Line, as it runs identical trains to Vancouver's Expo/Millennium lines. Feels like I'm transported back to home the moment I go on those trains there.
Yep as someone who frequently uses that line i agree, its cool, modern, with comfy seats and a nice view out of the big windows. Far better than the trains of line 3 and 4.
I recently went to KL to visit my cousins in Puchong in a very long time. I can confirm that Malaysia is a very car-dependant country due to cheaper car prices and also public transport not being very well-connected. Also because of the lack of pedestrian infrastructure like you've mentioned, it really discourages people from taking public transport due to the "First Mile" and "Last Mile" journey. I also find Park & Ride quite odd, because why would you NOT use your car to head straight to your destination? Criticisms aside, I am still very fascinated with their public transport system.
i don't think cars is cheap, Malaysia is behind Singapore for expensive countries to own/buy a car.
Yes! I have been waiting for this. I agree with you and all the commentators on its three flaws: housing development, last mile problem, and terrible pedestrian infrastructure. We need those fixed more than the circle line.
I do hope that they do not cut down interchange platforms of the circle line to save cost because that’s literally the main purpose of the line. Cut the cost some other way. I have been checking on any updates for months. Hopefully it will get built soon.
Also what are your thoughts on private apartment complexes with bridge connection to elevated MRT stations which have become a bit of a trend.
Finally a video about my home country Malaysia
Love your videos mate can you do one Greece Athens+ thisoniki
I plan to in the future!
even though I'm a viewer from Seattle, I got a chance to ride the MRT in KL in 2019. I enjoyed taking a video from the front of the cab as it is fully automated which is always fun. Also my first and only time using this little reusable coin thing to get through the fare gates instead of a card.
The token thing is mainly for those who seldom use the MRT/LRT like tourists or people outside of KL.
Since you will only use the metro one or two times only, so why not make the "ticket" reusable instead of keeping a card that you will not be using again in your wallet for indefinite amount of time?
Love the video dude. You should know that KL adopting public transit has been a pretty great stepping stone to the rest of Malaysia as a whole realising "We need to invest in our infrastructure" and it is BUZZING with activity for the expansion and connection of various transit systems within the country. It's a shame you didn't bring up the KTM Intercity and ETS lines to Johor and Penang, and the in development line to Pahang though. Also nice fight on the pronunciation of Malay words, though I personally recommend you try to mispronounce them to f with people.
As a Malaysian, I'm very satisfied with content about my country. As an occasional public transit user and public transport enthusiasts, I wish only these 3 things
1. Our public transit is as good as Tokyo and Hong Kong
2. Our city is as walkable as any European cities.
3. We have added Tramway, BRT and trolley bus on road level to supplement the elevated infrastructure + a mini shuttle to serve first mile last mile connection from residents to stations.
As these things are not available, my prefered mode of transportation is by riding a scooter which is fast, agile and cheap to maintain.
I loved that I could buy a ticket for the airport express trains online before my journey to Malaysia. I just had to print it and then scan the barcode at the gate of the airport station. That is much more convenient than having to buy a ticket after leaving the plane.
And on the way back I loved that I could already do the check-in and get rid of my luggage directly at KL Sentral. So when I arrived at the airport, I was able to go to the security check directly. Basically the same system as in Hong Kong. That gives you some extra time in the city centre without the luggage.
I strategically chose the Renaissance Hotel, because it is very close to both the monorail and the metro.
You should find a hotel near pasar seni station like Chinatown, personally I feel you'll have more convenient connection points since MRT services are SO MUCH better than the monorail, especially in rush hour.
@@suhandatanker I liked that it was in walkabble distance from KLCC and my room had a nice view to the Petronas Towers. That view is party blocked now since the W Hotel was built. When I was there in 2014, the line 9 had not even opened yet. So today I might choose another accommodation.
It is interesting that in Kuala Lumpur crossing the street is so much more dangerous than in Singapore, although that used to be the same country. I hope they will soon build a high speed train between those two cities. The current 8.5 hour or so ride is just too long.
Its certainly a good passenger experience! And fast!
@@skyscraperfanit's quite depressing tbh, the government should focus more on the bus service and pedestrian/bike infrastructure, they really do have huge potentials to be on level with Singapore.
When i was a kid i used to live near the putrajaya sentral station from 2003-2006 and i remember when my dad took me to the monorail when it opened
Kuala Lumpur reminds me of Jakarta in that there's tons of shopping malls. They're everywhere but also its hot and humid there and most people in the mall I visited (I needed sandals but nowhere in Indonesia has a size 13 US lmao) were just sitting around or eating. Most of the shops were kinda empty. Maybe they dont wanna be outside in the suffocating heat lmao
We are still waiting for you to do a video on Jakarta!
Nice info..
Interesting video Reese! Kuala Lumpur has a lot of potential to transition from an automobile dystopia to a decent city and metropolitan area.
Been to KL last November
Would love if you could make a small Africa vid about some of the systems there! Don't think they can make a full video, but the existing system in Addis Ababa, under construction/opening in Lagos, the recently opened and expanding system in Mauritius, as well as some North African systems I think would be interesting to explore
North Africa has a lot of light rail lines, i.e. Oran and Alexandria.
been livin in KL near Bangsar for 20 years now trust me the lunch hour and after work hour will cause most lrt station to be packed but still function neatly and nice in those hour.
Never thought to watch a video of the transit in my own country but cool.
The amount of car centric infra in Kuala Lumpur is simply hilarious sometimes, what a shame though
Our highway kilometres per capita is ‘world class’🥲 Yet building train lines get unnecessary scrutiny.
@@miltonmiles6324 Politicians here love to cut cost and scrutinize MRT/LRT projects, but won't do the same with tolled highways (for example the slow-moving EKVE highway project)
@@muhammadhafiz_h4 Yeah, is (kind of) the same here in my country, people in developing countries think that cars are the best thing ever/main symbol of developmen, with politicians focussing more on fixing/expanding roadways instead of actually strong solutions, like discourage car ownership in favor of Public transportation and better urban planning.
@@miltonmiles6324 Even driving is not pleasant. On one hand, KL drivers drive like they are the doomslayer and everyone else is a demon that they will run over. On the other hand, I have seen some pretty dumb highway and road design problems. Slip-lane ending into a brick wall? Check. U-turn shooting you right onto the fast lane? Check. Non-existent road markings? Check. Potholes that make the road look like the surface of the moon? Check. But no-one cares enough to fix these problems.
Start reducing road sizes and removing freeways!
Welcome to the tropical North America!
Nice video anyways, thanks 👍
Basically what happens when you combine NA Suburbia with sprinkles of Chinese apartments, a Tokyo/Manhattan at the City Center, and metros/LRTs from everywhere, in the tropics
currently on progress is ETS from JB to KL, RTS from Singapore to JB, LRT 3 Shah Alam Line, ECRL in East Coast. Will do later hopefully is MRT 3 Circle Line, Putrajaya Monorail, Penang LRT. Let’s pray for better public transportation in Malaysia. Hopefully resume on planning for HSR Singapore - KL - Bangkok
The HSR and MRT-3 is the most critical link imo, it will boost Malaysia's economy Kilometers ahead.
I use the kl transit every once in a while to go to the city center
WOW im singaporean but im here right now for a Rubik's Cube competition! didnt get to try the metro but looked at the map
Saying thank you for telling the world about Kuala Lumpur and my lovely country Malaysia 🇲🇾 from me in East Malaysia (the state of Sarawak) Borneo. 👍😄❤️
Malaysia seems to be an interesting case. Will check out that substack 👍
I recommend it!
Finally my city!