January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — Malaysia’s long-anticipated electric train service (ETS) between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru made its first appearance early this morning, with a special media preview departing Kuala Lumpur Railway Station ahead of the official launch tomorrow.
According to The Straits Times, the preview train will conclude its journey at Kempas Baru station in Johor Bahru, where the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim are set to officiate the ceremony marking the line’s completion and commencement of service.
Officials from Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and the Transport Ministry were on board the 6am departure, which celebrates the completion of the 192km Gemas–Johor Bahru electrified double-track project.
The six-coach ETS train offers 312 seats — five standard coaches and one business-class coach.
Passengers can expect four toilets, power outlets at every seat, a bistro car for onboard meals, and a prayer room for Muslim travellers.
Business-class amenities include wider seats, a private toilet, complimentary meals, individual TV screens with free wifi and movies, a route information map and an in-seat meal-ordering system.
Construction of the 192km southern line began in 2017 and was originally slated for completion in October 2021, but faced more than three years of delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and land acquisition challenges.
Once fully rolled out, the southern ETS route will shorten travel time between KL and Johor Bahru to roughly 4.5 hours — compared with five to seven hours by road.
The electrified double-track network now spans from Padang Besar in the north all the way to Johor Bahru, reinforcing Malaysia’s west coast rail corridor.
Beginning December 12, four existing KL Sentral–Kluang trips will be extended to JB Sentral, providing direct KL–JB connectivity.
There will be two daily departures from KL Sentral (7.45am and 5.35pm) and two from JB Sentral (8.40am and 4.20pm), with the first KL Sentral service shifting to 7.55am from January 1, 2026.
KTMB anticipates strong passenger demand during the year-end holidays and rising cross-border travel from Singapore.
Acting Group CEO and Chief Technical Officer Ahmad Nizam Mohamed Amin said the southern ETS will enhance mobility for Johor travellers, strengthen links to northern and East Coast destinations, and boost tourism and economic activity.
One-way tickets between KL and JB start at RM82, available via the KITS Style app, KTMB kiosks, and the official website.
To mark the launch, KTMB introduced a 30 per cent discount for travel between December 12 and January 11.
The promotion, offered to the first 5,000 passengers using the code “JBBEST”, was fully redeemed on the first day of sales.
