High speed rail to link Singapore-KL in 90 minutes

The fastest way to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur is by air, which including airport transfer takes approximately three hours.

According to Hogg Robinson Group (HRG), three is the magic number when corporates are choosing whether to travel by air or rail. HRG’s research on traveller behaviour shows that when travelling domestically for business, air beats rail as soon as the rail journey is over three hours despite potential cost savings. With the upcoming proposed high-speed rail link connecting Singapore and Kuala Lumpur slated to open by 2020, travellers will have the option of travelling between the two cities in a mere 90-minutes. So what does this mean for travel between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur?

Though the purported travel duration of this high-speed rail is considerably lesser than a flight, there are several factors to consider prior to jumping onto the train. Greg James, General Manager, HRG Singapore, said, “The high-speed rail link will, without a doubt, be a game-changer for business travellers. However a range of other factors will come into play when selecting the mode of travel. With this being the only rail link connecting Singapore to Malaysia, factors such as train timings and the flexibility of having 668 flights a week to Kuala Lumpur at highly competitive prices will be influencing factors when deciding upon method of travel.” In light of the survey results, Stewart Harvey - Group Commercial Director at HRG said, “We have seen a noticeable trend for clients to accept longer journey times. Travellers do understand that they can get more work done on a train, but actual cost and time savings aren’t always clear. For example, a time factor often overlooked when choosing travel arrangements is the distance and time it takes to get from the train station to the city centre or airport.  Time equals money, so clients must make sure that their travel policies reflect this for the total door-to-door journey, rather than just the air or rail travel time.”