Kuala Lumpur’s AMAZINGLY Unique Transit Network!

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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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.

[RMTransit]

ICYMI, my Substack article with another angle to it!

Free to read and subscribe!

[MarkLaren]

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!

[Simon-zan]

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

[uhhhmm]

Always happy to see an analysis of transit outside of Europe and NA. Would love to see transit of Africa too!

[AhmadAshrinAbdulJalil]

Very detailed and comprehensive analysis! Bravo!

[YLFNFB]

The only line I've ever use is those three lines in Titiwangsa (took the monorail line to the indoor theme park in Imbi, LRT when there's book fair, and MRT to the KLCC)

[anderswennstig]

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.

[NickisActuallyCheesy]

We are still waiting for you to do a video on Jakarta!

[oliverbulus]

I hope Manila would be featured in RM esp the NSCR and the Subway project.

[amirfuadh]

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.

[ashraaqwahab]

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.

[jamesdwithrow]

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.)

[au]

Im a Melakan (2 hours drive south of kl), it's a shame only KL has good public transport in Malaysia.

[samsanjeevan]

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.

[yukko_parra]

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)

[marcdefaoite]

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.

[yousseph]

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.

[haziqpro]

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

[Skurovski]

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.

[BrianBaileyedtech]

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.