Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital and largest city, is home to over 7 million people in the Klang Valley region. While the city is known for its towering skyscrapers, sprawling highways, and massive shopping malls, it also has an extensive public transportation network that often flies under the radar.
But KL’s rapid transit system? It’s a mixed bag. You’ve got LRT lines that aren’t technically “light rail,” a monorail that has struggled from the start, and even a fully elevated electric bus route that looks more like a people mover than a proper BRT. Let’s break it all down.
The City’s Layout & Key Hubs
KL’s geography is pretty interesting. To the west, you’ve got the Malacca Strait, while mountains surround the city in the east and northeast. The central business district sits in a valley formed by the Klang River, about 40 km inland. Here, you’ll find the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, which were once the tallest buildings in the world, as well as the lesser-known—but even taller—Merdeka 118, now the second tallest tower globally.
Despite its urban core, KL is an incredibly sprawling city. There are endless highways, parking lots, and suburban housing developments, with giant malls seemingly everywhere. But in the middle of this car-centric landscape, there are also some dense, transit-oriented areas that show what the city’s future could look like if things were planned differently.
The main transportation hub is KL Sentral, a massive complex that connects multiple rapid transit lines, intercity trains, the airport rail link, and even features a large shopping mall and high-rise developments.
Like many major cities, KL has two airports:
- Subang Airport (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) – Small, mostly for domestic flights, with about 2 million passengers per year.
- KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) – The main international airport, handling over 60 million passengers annually.
KL’s Rail Network: A Closer Look
Kuala Lumpur’s transit network is huge, with over 200 km of metro rail and more than 150 stations. It’s made up of several different systems, each with its own quirks:
KTM Komuter – The Suburban Rail Network
KTM Komuter operates on meter-gauge electrified tracks and consists of two main lines:
- Line 1 (136 km, 32 stations) – Runs north-southeast (Sentul, Kampung Batu, Labu, Pulau Sebang/Tampin, Batu Caves, UKM, Taman Wahyu, Kuala Lumpur, Kajang, KL Sentral, Batang Benar, Seputeh, Sungai Gadut, Senawang, Seremban, Bangi, Rembau, Putra, Nilai, Bank Negara, Salak Selatan, Serdang, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Batu Kentonmen, Tiroi).
- Line 2 (125 km, 27 stations) – Runs northwest-west (Kampung Dato Harun, Serendah, Jalan Kastam, KL Sentral, Petaling, Rasa, Batu Tiga, Shah Alam, Setia Jaya, Abdullah Hukum, Kepong, Sungai Buloh, United Point, Kuala Lumpur, Teluk Pulai, Angkasapuri, Kuang, Klang, Teluk Gadong, Jalan Templer, Seri Setia, Kampung Raja Uda, Pantai Dalam, Putra, Padang Jawa, Kuala Kubu Bharu, Subang Jaya, Rawang, Batang Kali, Bank Negara, Pelabuhan Klang, Kepong Sentral, Bukit Badak, Segambut, Tanjung Malim).
These lines use a mix of modern CRRC-built trains and older Hyundai Rotem trains, but service frequencies are pretty low—trains usually run only every 30 minutes. The low ridership is likely due to the fact that many stations are just parking lots with little development around them.
There used to be a third line, the Skypark Link (Line 10), which connected Subang Airport to KL Sentral, but it was shut down due to low demand.
KLIA Express & KLIA Transit – The Airport Rail Link
KLIA is connected to the city by two services:
- KLIA Express (Line 6) – A non-stop, high-speed train from KL Sentral to the airport.
- KLIA Transit (Line 7) – A slower version of the same line, with three intermediate stops (KL Sentral, KLIA Terminal 1, KLIA Terminal 2, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya, Salak Tinggi).
These trains run on standard gauge tracks and are totally separate from the KTM network, allowing them to hit high speeds.
KL Monorail (Line 8) – The Not-So-Great Loop (Tun Sambanthan, Raja Chulan, Hang Tuah, Bukit Nanas, Titiwangsa, Medan Tuanku, Chow Kit, Bukit Bintang, Imbi, KL Sentral, Maharajalela).
This 9 km, 11-station monorail loops around central KL, but it’s been problematic since the beginning. Construction was delayed for over a decade, the trains are small, and the stations aren’t great in terms of accessibility. The trains were built by Scomi Rail, a now-defunct Malaysian company that also worked on a monorail in Mumbai. Overall, it’s not the best transit option, but at least it exists.
KL LRT (Light Metro) – Three Lines with Different Tech
KL’s LRT system consists of three lines, each with different technology:
- Ampang Line (Line 3) – 18 stations, German-style LRT trains (Pandan Jaya, Hang Tuah, Cahaya, Sentul, Sultan Ismail, PWTC, Pudu, Maluri, Bandaraya, Cempaka, Plaza Rakyat, Chan Sow Lin, Miharja, Masjid Jamek, Titiwangsa, Sentul Timur, Pandan Indah, Ampang).
- Sri Petaling Line (Line 4) – 29 stations, same technology as Line 3 (Masjid Jamek, Bandar Puteri, Sungai Besi, Sentul Timur, Alam Sutera, Bandar Tun Razak, Taman Perindustrian Puchong, Plaza Rakyat, Hang Tuah, Sri Petaling, PWTC, Awan Besar, Bandaraya, Kinrara BK5, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Puchong Perdana, Cheras, Putra Heights, IOI Puchong Jaya, Sentul, Pudu, Muhibbah, Salak Selatan, Puchong Prima, Sultan Ismail, Titiwangsa, Bukit Jalil, Chan Sow Lin, Pusat Bandar Puchong).
- Kelana Jaya Line (Line 5) – 37 stations, fully automated SkyTrain-style system (Universiti, Bangsar, Masjid Jamek, Lembah Subang, KLCC, SS 18, Taman Melati, Putra Heights, KL Sentral, Damai, Ara Damansara, Taipan, Setiawangsa, SS 15, Abdullah Hukum, Taman Bahagia, Kampung Baru, Wawasan, Glenmarie, Taman Paramount, Wangsa Maju, Dato’ Keramat, Jelatek, Pasar Seni, Kelana Jaya, Taman Jaya, Asia Jaya, Gombak, USJ 21, Sri Rampai, USJ 7, Subang Jaya, Taman Bahagia, Kerinchi, Dang Wangi).
Lines 3 and 4 were originally part of the same system but were later split. They mostly run elevated, using old railway corridors, but unfortunately, a lot of their stations are surrounded by low-density development or parking lots.
The Kelana Jaya Line (Line 5) is a bit more impressive. It uses Vancouver-style automated trains with linear induction motors. Plus, its underground stations have platform screen doors, which even SkyTrain didn’t get until much later.
KL MRT – KL’s “True” Metro
KL has two full metro lines, both fully automated:
- Kajang Line (Line 9) – 47 km, 29 stations (Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), Taman Midah, Phileo Damansara, Taman Connaught, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, Maluri, Kwasa Sentral, Surian, Taman Mutiara, Sri Raya, Kota Damansara, Pasar Seni, Taman Suntex, Bukit Bintang, Cochrane, Pusat Bandar Damansara, Kwasa Damansara, Bukit Dukung, Muzium Negara, Taman Pertama, Sungai Jernih, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Kajang, Batu Sebelas Cheras, Stadium Kajang, Semantan, Merdeka, Mutiara Damansara).
- Putrajaya Line (Line 12) – 58 km, 36 stations (Tun Razak Exchange-Samsung Galaxy (TRX), Sungai Buloh, Cyberjaya City Centre-Limkokwing, Sentul Barat, Cyberjaya Utara-Finexus, Damansara Damai, Sri Damansara Timur, Kepong Baru, Kampung Selamat, Ampang Park, Bandar Malaysia Utara, UPM, Jalan Ipoh, 16 Sierra, Taman Teknologi, Kuchai, Putrajaya Sentral, Bandar Malaysia Selatan, Conlay-Kompleks Kraf, Serdang Raya Selatan, Jinjang, Kwasa Damansara, Taman Equine, Serdang Jaya, Taman Universiti, Sri Delima, Metro Prima, Serdang Raya Utara, Sri Damansara Barat, Raja Uda-UTM, Titiwangsa, Sri Damansara Sentral, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Sungai Besi, Taman Naga Emas, Kentonmen, Kampung Batu, Persiaran KLCC, Chan Sow Lin, Putra Permai).
These are probably the most Singapore-like lines in the system, and that makes sense because Singapore’s MRT helped influence their design. Both lines use four-car trains that are wider and faster than the LRT trains. Line 12’s Hyundai Rotem trains have been nicknamed “The Ducky” by local enthusiasts due to their odd design.
Sunway BRT – The Strange Bus That Thinks It’s a Train
KL also has an elevated bus rapid transit (BRT) system, the Sunway BRT (Line B1) (Mentari, SunMed, Sunway-Setia Jaya, USJ 7, Sunway Lagoon, SunU-Monash, South Quay-USJ 1). It’s only 5 km long with 7 stations, and it serves the Sunway area, which is home to a giant water park and a mix of high-density developments and townhouses.
But here’s the weird part:
- It’s fully electric.
- The buses run on an elevated track like a train.
- The vehicles only have one door each, making boarding slow.
Honestly, it looks more like a people mover than a real BRT system.
What’s Next? Future Expansion
Despite the network’s already large size, KL has two more major projects in the works:
- Shah Alam Line (Line 11) – A new automated LRT line running 38 km with 20 stations (Jalan Meru, Temasya, Glenmarie, Kawasan 17, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Persiaran Hishamuddin, Bukit Raja, Kayu Ara, Klang Jaya, SS7, BU11, Bandar Utama, Johan Setia, Damansara Idaman, UiTM, I-City, Kerjaya, Seri Andalas, Pasar Jawa, Taman Selatan, Bandar Botanik, Stadium Shah Alam).
- MRT Circle Line (Line 13) – A massive 51 km loop that would finally provide a circular route around the city (Taman Sri Sinar, Jalan Klang Lama, Pandan Indah, Bukit Kiara, Sri Hartamas, Taman Kencana, Rejang, Tasik Ampang, Titiwangsa, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bukit Kiara Selatan, Danau Kota, Setiawangsa, Sri Permaisuri, Pantai Permai, AU2, Jalan Langkawi, Kampung Pandan, Salak Selatan, Salak Jaya, Pantai Dalam, Kampung Puah, Taman Cheras, Dutamas, Setapak, Kompleks Duta, Taman Hillview, Bukit Segambut, Taman Midah, Kuchai).
The MRT Circle Line will be expensive and delayed, but if it gets built, it could seriously improve the system’s connectivity.
The Verdict: A System with Huge Potential
Kuala Lumpur’s transit system is big, modern, and well-connected—but it also faces serious challenges. The biggest issue? Poor city planning.
- Too many highways make transit less competitive.
- Low-density development (even next to metro stations) limits ridership.
- Inconsistent planning means connections between lines aren’t always great.
But despite these challenges, KL’s system still has a lot going for it. It’s mostly metro-grade, well-maintained, and has lots of room for improvement. If city planners can fix the land use issues, KL could have one of the best transit networks in the world. What do you think? Could KL become a world-class transit city, or is it doomed to sprawl forever?