155 km/h to Kampar

7.00pm

In typical Malaysian fashion, the train was still nowhere to be seen. It was suppose to arrive 12 minutes ago, at least according to the ticket that I was clutching.

There was no indication of when it will be arriving. No KTM officals around or announcements whatsoever to assure the many travelers waiting at the dimly lit Platform 1 of KL Sentral station. Moments later, a policeman appeared together with a lady clad in bright yellow, asking us to stay behind the yellow line.

Ahh...the train must be arriving soon.

The train I was referring to is the Electric Train Service (ETS), a high speed service connecting KL-Ipoh launched with much fanfare in August after several delays. It was supposed to cut traveling time down to about 2 hours. Since I was heading to Kampar (to find Rachel), the journey will take 1 hour & 45 minutes, again...according to the information printed on my ticket.

The ticket to Kampar cost RM 26, a tad expensive considering a similiar journey on the slower KTM Antarabandar only cost RM 11 for Economy seats & RM 20 for Second Class seats. Since this is the promotional period, prices are likely to increase further in the future.

7.05 pm

The shiny 6 coach 'bullet' train came to a halt at Platform 1 & everybody promptly boarded according to their allocated coaches. In stark contrast with the romantic ambiance of the waiting area, the interior of the train was brightly lit & everything was in spanking new condition.

I settled down into my seat, which was comfortable with generous legroom. The flat screen TV at the front of the coach was showing the many tourists attractions of Perak...Sam Poh Tong, Bukit Merah Water Resort, Gua Tempurung, Keris & Parang making in Kuala Kangsar etc. Strangely, I did not feel threatened even though I am Chinese.

Slowly, the train started pulling away...

7.15 pm

A lady emerged through the doorway with two guys following closely behind carrying trays filled with canned drinks, bottled water, sandwiches and paus. She stopped by every row to take orders & was surprisingly courteous, like a well trained air stewardess minus the thick make up.

Also, the train was really starting to pick up speed. As it hit 90 km/h, a small speedometer magically appeared at the top left corner of the TV. The speed of the train climbed up to more than 110 km/h at certain stretches. While at some other stretches, it had to slow down to below 90 km/h at which the speedometer will disappear, hiding itself in embarrassment.

And so the cycle continued, the speedometer periodically appearing & disappearing according to the train's speed.

7.35 pm

Suddenly, the train slowed down and came to a complete halt in the middle of nowhere. It was pitch black outside.

After lying motionless for almost 10 minutes, someone finally decided to clue us in on the situation. Apparently, a Komuter train was blocking the track ahead & we were just waiting for a clear stretch of railway before we can start moving again.

8.30 pm

After stopping briefly at Tanjung Malim, the train continued its journey to Kampar. With no stupid Komuter blocking its way, the train was able to unleash its full potential. This is where the train managed to hit the top speed of 155 km/h.

I finally arrived at the deserted Kampar station at 9 pm, which is 30 minutes later than what was promised due to all the minor hiccups along the way. But all in all, I think the ETS is still a great way to travel if you are headed up north to Ipoh. Not exactly cheap but safe & comfortable.