Here, carriages wend their way past rice fields, rubber and oil palm plantations, and lush forest — minus the hassle of driving that involves myriad road tolls and traffic jams, or the bland monotony of a flying tube.

Kuala Lumpur-based Kamini Visvananthan, 41, was at Mentakab station in Pahang State, about to board a train to return home, having completed the iconic Jungle Railway route that winds through the dense tropical forest of the country's central interior.

"We see pockets of the culture of Malaysia in the little towns and how it aligns and weaves together," said the human rights worker, describing a visit to a durian plantation, a centuries-old temple and several colonial-era buildings that tell of the country's past.

Seeking improvements

KTM will also see improvements to its services, with 10.7 billion Malaysian ringgit ($2.55 million) set aside to bring in 62 new train sets from China by 2027. This will increase the frequency of train services and replace some of the older stock.