For visitors travelling to Singapore, you may want to reserve one day for a day trip to Johor Bahru (JB), Malaysia. Singapore is connected to JB by just one causeway bridge and is easily accessible by bus or train. For those who are short on time, consider taking the train to JB! It is only a 5-minute ride away. You can also skip the causeway jam and the long queues at the immigration. Since the train immigration is a separate one from the bus immigration, the longest you'll ever have to wait is the maximum number of train commuters.
From experience, taking the train (though slightly more expensive) is definitely a fuss-free way to get to Johor Bahru. The total time taken to get to JB from Woodlands Train Checkpoint, including all the customs and immigrations, is only a short 20 to 30 minutes.
In comparison, sometimes, the queue at the bus immigration is so long that you'll have to wait literally for hours. Also, there's the trouble of having to transfer buses as you get from Singapore to Johor Bahru.
How to take the train to JB?
You can either book the ticket online (additional booking charge), or purchase it at the counter at the Woodlands Train Checkpoint for SGD 5 per ticket. If you are travelling over the weekend or during school holidays, it is always recommended to book it online to avoid disappointment. Otherwise, on regular weekdays, you can either take the 10am train or the 12 noon train.
Remember to bring your passport as you will be heading to another country, and you will also need them to purchase the tickets at the counter!
How to book the ticket online?
1. Go to the KTM Website
2. Sign in or Register for an account if you haven't already done so!
3. Select either one-way or return tickets
4. Select Singapore (Woodlands CIQ) to Johor Bahru (JB Sentral), select your desired timeslot to book the ticket!
5. You will be asked to select your seats but do note that it is in actual fact, free seating!
6. Key in your particulars
7. Printout the confirmation / e-ticket
8. If you are holding onto a confirmation, you'll have to exchange the confirmation to an actual ticket on the first floor of the Woodlands Train Checkpoint. Otherwise, head straight to the gates on the 2nd floor (at least 20 minutes before the train departure time).
Alternatively, you could also book your train tickets on Easybook. The booking system is slightly less complex and it has a nicer interface!
At the Singapore side, you'll have to clear two customs - the Singapore one, and then the Malaysian side. After clearing immigration, head onto the train! You should be able to find seats, otherwise, no harm standing as it is only a 5-minute ride! 5 minutes later, head out of the train and proceed to JB City Square Mall. If you're not so sure, you can either follow the crowd or just ask around!
Tadah, and you are in Johor Bahru, Malaysia!
The mall is directly connected to the causeway via a link bridge. This is the picture to the linkway. If you're still wondering what you can do at City Square Mall, there's a ton of shopping there and restaurants to try, read also our guide on what to eat in City Square Mall and Komtar JBCC and for a short stay, we stayed at the Amari Hotel Johor Bahru just opposite Komtar JBCC.
If you would like to go elsewhere in JB, turn left when you see this linkway and head down to hail a taxi. Taxis are affordable in JB as compared to when you are in Singapore! As a bonus, GRAB is even cheaper than taxis. Get your wifi device, and off you go.
Consider also some of these places you can explore by taking taxi or grab:
The next time you're thinking of heading to JB, consider taking the train for a fuss-free experience!
This guide was first published on 2 February 2018, updated on 13 July 2019.
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