“When the ETS Stopped at Rengam: A Town’s Pride”

 

I hail from  a small town called Renggam—or Rengam, depending on whether you follow the locals or KTM’s spelling. Even today, I smile at the inconsistency. Maybe both are right in their own way. Maybe that’s just how small towns are: full of stories, full of versions.

Signage at Rengam Station

Old Signage 

The railway station was the heartbeat of my childhood. My home stood barely a hundred metres away, close enough that the rumble of passing trains became part of our daily soundtrack. If you were riding through town, you could spot our house without anything blocking the view. 

We never owned a passenger car, so trains were our gateway to the world. Every journey—short or long—began with the familiar clang of the station bell and the smell of metal tracks warming under the sun. One of the greatest treats of my younger days was taking the train to Singapore. That trip felt grand, almost ceremonial, as if the world suddenly expanded the moment the train pulled away.

I spent so much time at the station that I eventually befriended the station master. He wasn’t just a railway man to us; he was a mentor of sorts. He introduced us to stamp collecting, taught us how to buy stamps from overseas, and opened our eyes to a world far beyond Rengam. For a small-town kid, those stamps were tiny windows into distant places. On occasion, I'd even take an afternoon nap on the station's wooden benches. I recall one incident where the train had extra-long coaches. The platform wasn't long enough, and I ended up disembarking into a bush!

Back then, the fare between Rengam and Johor Bahru was only RM2.00 for a single trip. It sounds unbelievable now, but that was the rhythm of life then—simple, affordable, unhurried. 

RM3.00 in 2005

Yet, being a small town, most express trains thundered past without stopping. We were used to watching opportunities rush by, quite literally.

These tracks gave way to ETS

That’s why 12 December 2025 felt like a moment carved into history. KTM launched the ETS (Electric Train Service) connecting Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur, and for the first time, the sleek, modern train made an official stop at Rengam. For our little town, it wasn’t just a new service—it was a recognition long overdue.

I won’t go into the full details of the opening ceremony at JB Sentral. The newspapers and TV stations have already captured the excitement: the crowds waiting for the gates to open, the buzz of passengers eager to be part of the maiden journey, the sense of pride that filled the air.

What I want to share instead is something quieter, something more personal—the door gifts handed out that day. Small tokens, perhaps, but to me they represent a bridge between the past and the present. A reminder that the railway that shaped my childhood is still evolving, still connecting, still part of my story.

The Souvenir Box

A wooden train ticket

Key Chain

Can't think a proper name for this piece of cloth

Collar Pins

This blog doesn’t attempt to capture every aspect of the train ride experience. I’ve chosen not to dwell on certain details because, for me, this journey is deeply personal. These fleeting moments — the shine of a new train, the excitement of a first stop — are bound to shift with time. What you see today is a spotless, gleaming carriage. What will it be, say, a year from now? Only time will tell.

Still, I’ll leave you with one small, practical note: the air-conditioning is colder ( it goes below 16 Degree C ) than expected. If you’re planning a ride, bring a jacket — comfort, after all, is part of the journey too.

And as the train pulls away from Rengam, I’m reminded of all the times I stood by the tracks as a child, watching the world rush past. 

P/S: Childhood memories are far too many to capture in full; they surface only when they wish to. I’m sure I’ve left out some of the most exciting moments I once shared with KTM, but for now, this feels like the right place to pause. The story ends here — until the next adventure finds its way onto the tracks.