Guide to Public Transportation in Kuala Lumpur
Bonjour and Good Day 😃
Kuala Lumpur has a mix of public transportation lines. Using them is simple, especially if you have a Touch N Go card!
This guide will explain to you how to use the public transports and which are the main lines.
Before starting to talk about the lines themselves, let's see how to use the public transports 😊 🔽
Touch N Go vs token
By default if you don't have any transport card, the journey will be more complicated, you'll have to:
- Queue in front of the ticket machines
- Select your line and itinerary
- Pay with cash and retrieve the token
- Scan the token at the gate on the way in
- Insert it into the gate on the way out
So in order to avoid this, you'll want to grab a Touch N Go card. It's a prepaid card that you can buy at train stations. Go to the counter and ask for a card. It costs RM10 and you add some more to top up.
If at some point you run out of credit, it's the same, go to the counter and give them cash + the card and they will top it up.
To use the card just tap it at the gates in and out and that's it 😄
Also for your information this card can be used in tolls and most parkings, very pratical if you intend to drive around!
Lines tips
- All lines have a color code, for example the KL Monorail which we'll explore below is in green:
- The line stops mostly have a number which makes it easy for people to know which way to go and how many stops.
For example below if you're in Bukit Bintang and going to Hang Tuah, you'll navigate from MR6 to MR4, and once there you can transit to the LRT (orange line).
Lines
Below we'll explore some of the lines in detail, starting with the KL Monorail. It's an elevated train that goes through the heart of KL, near most major shopping and entertainment areas. I really recommend you to try it 😊
KL Monorail
Frequency: approximately every 10mn
Hours: first trains start at around 6am, last trains at around 23h30
Some key stations:
- Bukit Bintang: Right in the middle of the shopping and nightlife district. Stop here to explore the lively streets, packed with malls, restaurants, and bars.
- Imbi: Just a short walk from Berjaya Times Square, a large mall with an indoor attraction park and indoor karting.
- KL Sentral: The major transportation hub where you can easily transfer to other lines or take buses.
Full information available at: myrapid.com.my/bus-train/rapid-kl/monorail/
MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)
Frequency: every 5mn during peak hours on weekdays (7 to 9am and 17h to 19h30), otherwise approximately every 10mn
Hours: stations open at 6am, they close at 23h30 to midnight depending on which station. On sundays and public holidays they close 30mn before than usually.
There are 2 MRT lines: Kajang line and Putrajaya line. I never took the Putrajaya one so for the key stations I'll talk about the Kajang line:
- Bukit Bintang: I've mentioned it before but it's also on the MRT line 😄
- Surian: Nice if you’re visiting the suburban shopping areas like The Curve and IKEA
- Pasar Seni: Very close to Chinatown and the Central Market, good to shop for local crafts and try some street food
Full information:
- Kajang line: myrapid.com.my/bus-train/rapid-kl/mrt-kajang-line/
- Putrajaya line: myrapid.com.my/bus-train/rapid-kl/mrt-putrajaya-line/
LRT (Light Rail Transit)
Lastly you might use the LRT as well, there are 3 LRT lines which I'll list below. The trains can come as fast as every 3mn during peak hours for central districts, every 5 to 10mn in general or every 10 to 20mn for non central districts.
- LRT Ampang Line: has a lot of connections with the other lines, very pratical.
- LRT Sri Petaling Line: it's like an extension of the Ampang line and there's a stop at the Bukit Jalil stadium where famous singers have concerts.
- LRT Kelana Jaya Line: this line has a stop at KLCC to see the iconic Petronas Towers, the KLCC Park and Suria KLCC Mall.
Terimakasih for reading until here! Happy travels 😇
