PETALING JAYA: The Electric Train Service (ETS) from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baru has become the third most popular line on the ETS network just three months after its launch, trailing only the KL–Ipoh and KL–Butterworth routes.
ETS ridership figures from the data.gov.my portal shows that the KL Sentral to JB Sentral route recorded a total of 69,628 passengers between Dec 12, 2025, which was when the route was launched, and April 8, 2026.
KL Sentral to Ipoh was first with 122,406 passengers, followed by KL Sentral to Butterworth (86,090).
Despite being a relatively new addition, the KL-JB Sentral route has quickly entered the top tier of ETS services.
JB Sentral is the only southern destination among the 10 busiest ETS routes from KL Sentral, as the others are in the north.
Daily ETS ridership data for the KL Sentral-JB Sentral route also points to a sharp upward trend since the service began operations.
The highest daily ridership was during Hari Raya Aidilfitri on March 21 with 1,196 passengers.
Another spike was recorded during Chinese New Year on Feb 17, with 955 passengers.
The biggest number of passengers to JB Sentral came from KL Sentral, but the data also shows strong demand for ETS services from several other stations to the Johor capital.
Kluang recorded 21,751 passengers, followed by Segamat (8,967), with other key contributors included Kulai and Seremban.
The top 10 origin stations for passengers heading to JB Sentral are all located in the central and southern regions of Peninsula Malaysia.
This pattern facilitates long-distance travel from Kuala Lumpur and regional connectivity within Johor and Negri Sembilan.
The KL–JB Sentral ETS service was launched on Dec 12, 2025, following the completion of the 192km Gemas–Johor Baru Electrified Double-Tracking Project (EDTP).
The launch, officiated by Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim at Kempas Baru station, introduced four daily services connecting the Klang Valley to Johor Baru.
JB Sentral has also emerged as the third most popular ETS destination overall, behind KL Sentral and Ipoh.
