Lazy Guide: Singapore to Johor Bahru (JB) by Train in 4 Steps

I love Johor Bahru for the half-priced movies, super delicious local fare, affordable hipster cafes and the list can probably go on for another few pages. BUT, I really dread the long queue to clear the custom and to get on the bus. In fact, it’s your lucky day if you can clear both queues under an hour :p I don’t know what took me so long to discover the train shuttle between Woodlands and JB Sentral.

 It took us only 5 minutes to get to JB.

If you hate queuing as much as I do, let us show you in 4 simple steps on how to get to JB by train.

.

.

Step 1: Book the tickets online

Yes, you can book the tickets online again! Simply go to http://www.easybook.com and select ‘Train Ticket’. You can then enter ‘Singapore’ and ‘JB Sentral’ under the ‘To’ and ‘From’ field respectively to proceed with the search.

The ticket from Singapore to JB costs SGD5 while the ticket from JB to Singapore costs MYR5 (approx SGD 1.80). It’s comparable to taking buses!

Tip:

Train tickets are released about a month before so be sure to book early to not get disappointed – especially if you are eyeing a weekend date.

  • Departing from SG: 8am, 10am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 3pm, 4.30pm, 6.45pm, 8pm, 8.45pm, 10pm, 11.45pm
  • Departing from JB: 8.30am, 9am, 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm, 10.15pm

Basically, if you don’t see the timings above in the search results, it means it’s sold out. The popular timings on weekends can be sold out within days or hours. I was too slow for my Hari Raya long weekend train tickets so I could only get the train tickets back to Singapore.

.

Step 2: Depart from Woodlands Train Checkpoint

I stay in the East so Woodlands is really far for me. Thank god it’s not inaccessible though! There are plenty of buses that takes you to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint and honestly, with all the Uber and Grab promotion around, it shouldn’t cost you more than $5 to get the Train Checkpoint from either of the station below. (Fingers crossed those promotions continue!)

I find this simple graphic really helpful 🙂

Tip:

Try to reach the checkpoint at least half an hour before your departure time so you have enough time to clear the immigration. Try to do the same when you are returning from JB Sentral because the train does leave on time (sometimes).

.

Step 3: Enjoy the ride 

You will have to clear both Singapore and Malaysia immigration before you can board the train so by the time you get on the train, you are just 5 minutes away from the foodie heaven. Sit back and enjoy the (short) ride.

.

Step 4: Alight at JB Sentral (and start eating!)

In case you are not sure which is the JB Sentral building, it’s the building that connects the Malaysia immigration to City Square – the shopping centre every Singaporean goes. You would have walked past it if you had taken bus out of Johor to Singapore and vice versa so there’s no way you’ll miss it.

If you can smell Rotiboy, you are probably at JB Sentral 😉

.

.

Hope this guide is helpful in preparing you for your first train ride to Johor! Our train back to Singapore departed at 3.30pm sharp and we arrived back in Singapore (cleared customs too) at 4pm. It’s amazing! Just remember to book those tickets early guys 🙂

You may like: Our Must-Have Food Itinerary in Johor Bahru

Emma
My parents think I travel too much but if not now, then when? New experiences excite me the most and that's why I rarely visit the same city twice unless (a) they have awesome food and (b) they have awesome food.
Top