What next for the high speed rail to Singapore?

Model train: Thailand embraces its legacy metre-gauge railway network (on the left) while proceeding to build a brand-new HSR network (elevated portion on the right) to ensure future growth of its economy, setting an example Malaysia should heed. — MENG YEW CHOONG/The Star

WHEN KTM Bhd finally unveiled its Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baru ETS (electric train service) on Dec 12 – after around seven years of construction – one thing was greeted with a collective sigh: the long journey time of nearly 4.5 hours.

On paper, it is possible for a train running non-stop from KL Sentral to reach JB Sentral, a rail distance of 330km, in three hours, given the design speed of the alignment, which is 160kph.