A new development in Kluang District of Johor is the commissioning of the new Kluang (Railway) Station, on 3rd December 2024, and all railway operations had since moved to the new station. The decommissioned, old Kluang Railway Station has been designated as a heritage building and serving as a new attraction for tourists to Kluang.
The vintage wooden train station was built in 1909 and is over a century years old. It offers a nostalgic step back in time with classic wooden structures and old KTM colours — blue and yellow. There is no admission fee to enter the old station.
It is a good opportunity to check out the historical railway station and to pose for photos with backdrops of a rustic train platform and railway tracks without having to worry about oncoming trains.
The old station is not very big and probably takes about 10 minutes to explore. It will be wonderful if Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), the primary state-owned railway operator in Peninsular Malaysia, can find a decommissioned train and park it here.
Connected to the old train station is a transformed park, called Laman Rel Mahkota, featuring stories on both past and present of railway towns.
Underneath the new elevated railway tracks is a “history” corridor where information on all the old and new train stations in Johor are display, providing interesting reads into the history behind each station. There are also old railway exhibits, such as rail signallers, a railroad switch, etc, and also information boards on transformation of some railway stations to famous landmarks in Japan, Vietnam, United States, etc.
A piece of “not-so-related” information along the corridor reads: “Did you know? The name Kluang originates from the Malay word “keluang“, a type of flying fox or fruit bat that were often spotted in the area. If you look up from here, you might just spot a few still hanging around (literally)!”
I saw a whole bunch of them! And, it will be best to avoid walking under them or use their droppings on the floor as guides to stay clear.
Perhaps, the greatest attraction here for most locals and visitors to Kluang may be the iconic (Original) Kluang Rail Coffee that is housed inside the old station since 1938. The coffee shop is recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records as the “Oldest Railway Kopitiam in Malaysia”. The little coffee shop serves a wide variety of toasts and buns, selected local delights and a long list of beverages. Expect a long queue that snakes into the old station on weekends and public holidays.
More: Kluang Eat: The Original Kluang Rail Coffee @ Old Kluang Station
The new Kluang Station, with elevated railway tracks, is located right beside the old station and accessible from its own entrance a short walk down the same road. A walkway between the two stations seemed to have been constructed but is not opened to public.
The trains that call at the new station include both the older, slower diesel-powered KTM Intercity trains and the newer, faster ETS (Electric Train Service) trains — since 12 Dec 2025. It will be good to visit Kluang using the new ETS services.
More: Johor Bus / Train: To Kluang District in Johor (柔佛.居銮)
Aside from Kluang Coffee Powder Factory and street arts in Kluang, the Old Kluang Railway Station offers a new spot for some rustic photographs and have brunch at Malaysia’s oldest railway kopitiam.
Address:
KTM, Jalan Station, Kampung Masjid Lama, 86000 Kluang, Johor, Malaysia
Nearby:
Eats & Buys in Kluang:
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