Federated Malay States Railway services to and from Siam

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The Straits Times, Tuesday January 2, 1917, page 7 column 1, bottom.

Train services

The mail trains from Singapore for the North leave Tank Road station daily at 7.7 am and 7 pm, arriving at Kuala Lumpur at 7.18 pm and 6.45 am respectively. The through express to Penang leaves Kuala Lumpur at 8 am daily arriving at Penang at 6.28 pm the same day.

The southward bound mail train leaves Penang at 8 am daily arriving at Kuala Lumpur at 6.22 pm and the southward bound train from Kuala Lumpur leaves at 8.30 pm arriving at Tank Road Singapore at 8.16 am the next day.

The night trains between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and vice versa have sleepers attached. Restaurant cars are also provided on day trains between Kuala Lumpur and Penang and night trains between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Refreshments can be obtained on day trains between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Breakfast and Tiffin baskets will be supplied on day trains between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on application being made to the station masters. Tariff of charges: Breakfast 75¢, Tiffin $1, dinner $1.50.

The above mentions day trains between Singapore (Johore Bahru) and Kuala Lumpur but I have not found any timings for these yet. I have also found no mention of night trains on the Kuala Lumpur to Prai section.

Thanks to a new contact in Singapore I now have a copy of a timetable from the Straits Times for June 1918 covering through "communications" between Singapore and Siam by train, with the only change of train being at Padang Besar. The wording is somewhat misleading  as the causeway was not even started at that time but the timetable implies a direct service between Padang Besar and Tank Road. In fact the through service starts and terminates at Johore Bahru with a ferry connection to and from Woodlands to connect with Singapore local services to Tank Road. It also implies a service to Penang, however the train can only stop at Prai, again with ferry connections to and from Penang, which to this day still has a station with no rail connection! My transcription of the service is below.

Federated Malay States Railways

Through communication with Siam

On and after July 1, 1918, there will be through communication with Siam by rail via Padang Besar and the through train service between the principal stations will be as under.

          A       A restaurant car is attached to these trains from Bangkok Noi to Padang Besar and from Prai to Johore Bahru and a sleeping saloon from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur.

          B       A restaurant car is attached to these trains from Prai to Johore Bahru and a sleeping saloon from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur.

C       A restaurant car is attached to these trains from Johore Bahru to Prai and from Padang Besar to Bangkok Noi and a sleeping saloon from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur.

D       A restaurant car is attached to these trains from Johore Bahru to Prai and a sleeping saloon from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur.                                      

 A restaurant car is attached to these trains from Prai to Johore Bahru and a sleeping saloon from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur.

A restaurant car is attached to these trains from Johore Bahru to Prai and a sleeping saloon from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur.

Passengers will require to change trains at Padang Besar in either direction

Accomodation is available in the Rest Houses at Alor Star, Tung Song and Chumphon and application should be made direct to the lessee as far in advance as possible.

Each room at Tung Song and Chumphon Rest Houses contains two beds and the charge is Tes. 2 per person per night, but id a passenger wishes to reserve a room for himself he will be charged Tes. 4 per night. The lessee will, however, provide a room for each passenger if possible.

G. H. FOX,         

Acting General Manager F.M.S. Railways

Kuala Lumpur, June, 1918.

Effective from July 1st, 1918

Northbound services

Notes:

    1    Trains between Singapore and Prai run daily.

    2    It is not certain that trains between Prai and Padang Besar run every day,    

Southbound services

Notes:

1    All FMSR trains between Singapore and Prai are daily.

1    Yellow highlighted times are interpolations

2    Green text is ferry service

3    Red text is Siam service.

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This page created 17th October 2010.