TRAVEL HACK: KLIA Transit from KLIA to KL Sentral for RM20.90!
The Express Rail Link KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit is reputed to be expensive at RM55 to travel from KLIA to KL Sentral regardless of which service is taken. Here, I will show you how to take the KLIA Transit on the same route with just 1 minor inconvenience for a much cheaper fare of only RM20.90 from KLIA to KL Sentral.
KLIA Terminal 1
Both KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit trains depart from the same train station at KLIA Terminal 1. Follow the signs pointing to the KLIA Ekspres.
Heading down the escalator to the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit train station.
There is a ticket counter and ticket kiosks to purchase tickets. However, this is not the cheapest way to get tickets.
Instead, I bought my tickets on the KLIA Ekspres app. This gets me a 10% discount on the regular ticket fare. And instead of buying a ticket from KLIA T1 to KL Sentral straightaway, I broke my journey at Salak Tinggi.
- KLIA T1 to Salak Tinggi: RM4.40
- Salak Tinggi to KL Sentral: RM16.50
- Total: RM20.90
Heading through the ticket gates with my app ticket.
KLIA T1 station usuan island platform, with KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit trains departing from their own platforms.
Platform B is for the KLIA Transit all-stop train to KL Sentral.
Do not board the train at Platform A which is the KLIA Ekspres non-stop train to KL Sentral. This will set you back RM55.
KLIA Transit
Look out for the screens and listen out for the announcement that the next KLIA Transit train is bound for KL Sentral. Both platforms serves trains travelling in both directions, to KL Sentral and to KLIA Terminal 2.
The interior of the KLIA Transit CRRC Changchun Equator EMU train.
The route map of the KLIA Transit route.
It will just be a short 1-stop hop to Salak Tinggi.
My KLIA Transit train departed from KLIA T1 at 6.52am.
Salak Tinggi
I needed to stop at Salak Tinggi to scan out and in to the station again to validate both my tickets. Splitting my journey this way is the key to getting a 62% discount on the KLIA Transit.
Push the button to open doors.
My KLIA Transit CRRC Changchun Equator EMU train at Salak Tinggi.
There are 12 more minutes to the next train, so I needed to hurry up a bit to head out and in to the station.
Taking the escalator up to the linkbridge.
Crossing the linkbridge to the station exit.
Heading through the ticket gates with my app ticket.
Once I had scanned out of the ticket gates with my KLIA-Salak Tinggi ticket, I scanned in again with my next Salak Tinggi-KL Sentral ticket.
Phew, made it back in time.
It was a morning trip at the break of dawn, so there was a bit of a crowd for the KLIA Transit train to KL Sentral.
The next train for me was a Siemens Desiro ET 425 M EMU train.
The interior of the KLIA Transit Siemens Desiro ET 425 M EMU train.
As I had boarded last, it was only standing room for me for the journey to the next station.
Putrajaya & Cyberjaya
Some passengers will alight at Putrajaya & Cyberjaya to change to the MRT Putrajaya Line to Kuala Lumpur for a much cheaper fare, which gives me an opportunity to get a seat here.
Bandar Tasik Selatan
Making a brief stop at Bandar Tasik Selatan where I had just arrived earlier in the morning, and boarded my Jetbus from.
KL Sentral
My KLIA Transit train arrived at KL Sentral at 7.40am.
My total journey time from KLIA T1 to KL Sentral was just 48 minutes in the morning peak. For RM20.9 is a reasonable price and journey time to skip the morning traffic jams if I had taken the bus instead.
Heading up the escalator to the exit.
Heading through the ticket gates with my app ticket.
The exit leads directly to the transfer concourse of KL Sentral.
Conclusion
Salak Tinggi is the cheapest point to split my tickets to travel on the KLIA Transit from KLIA to KL Sentral. For the small inconvenience to scan out and in of Salak Tinggi station, I was able to save 62% off my ticket price as compared to if I had just taken the train directly for RM55.
Do note that this speedy journey time only works when travelling during peak hours, and the 30-minute interval during off-peak hours may make this savings less useful especially if you are rushing for time. Check timetables here to plan your transfer time.