KTM Shuttle Tebrau Guide • KTM Shuttle Tebrau Ticketing System • New Ticketing System and Departure Procedures using Passport

The KTM Shuttle Tebrau is arguably the most popular mode of transport between Woodlands and Johor Bahru despite passenger numbers not showing, mainly because plenty of people can’t buy a ticket even if they wanted to as there is very little supply of seats. Due to the popular demand, KTM Berhad had to introduce a new KTM Shuttle Tebrau Ticketing System just for the Shuttle Tebrau to cater to ticketing demands as it would send their servers on a frenzy every morning at 8.30am, 30 days before departure of the opened trains.

Effective Monday, 7 October 2019, the KTM Shuttle Tebrau between JB Sentral and Woodlands operates fully on a new ticketless system. New Shuttle Tebrau tickets are currently only available for purchase online with Malaysian internet banking accounts, or physically at JB Sentral and Woodlands CIQ Railway Stations. With this new ticketless system, tickets will not be provided upon successful purchase of your Shuttle Tebrau ticket, while KTM Berhad will use your own personal passport bio-date page or passport photo page as your Shuttle Tebrau ticket.

Here are the current procedures to board the Shuttle Tebrau effective Monday, 7 October 2019.

Shuttle Tebrau Woodlands Background 002

Step 1: Buy your Shuttle Tebrau ticket (if you can)

Shuttle Tebrau tickets are only available from the KTM Shuttle Tebrau ticketing website at https://ticket.ktmb.com.my/ which accepts Malaysian internet banking and credit or debit cards, or physically at JB Sentral and Woodlands CIQ Railway Stations. Shuttle Tebrau tickets are no longer available for sale at any other KTM Intercity or ETS stations throughout KTM Berhad’s network in Peninsular Malaysia aside from JB Sentral and Woodlands CIQ Railway Stations.

Shuttle Tebrau Singaporeans Can Buy JB Train Tickets Online Again

UPDATE (10 October 2019): KTM Berhad has finally woken up to provide an internationally-acceptable mode of payments by credit and debit cards for the new KTM Shuttle Tebrau ticketing system, 9 days after its launch!

Click here to see how to buy your KTM Shuttle Tebrau ticket with your credit or debit card!

Shuttle Tebrau New Ticketing System Fail 006

Your passport number and expiry date is required when purchasing your Shuttle Tebrau ticket as your personal passport will serve as your ticket to board the Shuttle Tebrau. When purchasing Shuttle Tebrau tickets personally at the ticket counters, the actual passport or photocopy of passport is required for purchase. Each physical person at the counter is only allowed to purchase a maximum of four (4) Shuttle Tebrau tickets per transaction.

72up Woodlands CIQ JB Sentral 024Woodlands Train Checkpoint Bus Access Map effective 31 January 2020

Click here for information on how to get to Woodlands Train Checkpoint by bus!

Step 2: Prepare to board the Shuttle Tebrau 30 to 10 minutes before departure

Your passport, which is your Shuttle Tebrau ticket, will be scanned at the entrances to the Shuttle Tebrau immigration areas at JB Sentral and Woodlands CIQ respectively. This new automated system by NSS IT Solution Sdn Bhd will ensure that the gate opens and closes on the exact time, so don’t be late.

85dn JB Sentral Woodlands CIQ from KCH 004

At JB Sentral, Malaysia, there are new Shuttle Tebrau ticket gates at Gate A for your passport.

72up Woodlands CIQ JB Sentral 001

At Woodlands CIQ, Singapore, KTM staff at the gate will be using handheld devices to scan your ticket to board the Shuttle Tebrau. Tickets may be presented on your phone or as a hardcopy printout.

85dn JB Sentral Woodlands CIQ from KCH 003

The new Shuttle Tebrau ticket gates at Gate A of JB Sentral has both normal width and wide gates to cater to travellers with different baggage sizes.

81dn JB Sentral Woodlands CIQ 007

Scan your original passport on the passport reader on the new Shuttle Tebrau ticket gate. Wrong passports, photocopies of passports, wrong departure timing and a range of other errors as long as ticket details do not match will be rejected by the ticket gate as it will not detect a valid ticket.

81dn JB Sentral Woodlands CIQ 008

If you had noticed that there is a big important missing step, YES, reprinting of online tickets is now a thing of the past with this new ticketless system!

Step 3: Proceed for Immigration and Customs Clearance

93dn JB Sentral Woodlands CIQ with Gates 015

At JB Sentral, Malaysia, proceed downstairs for outbound Malaysia immigration and customs clearance.

At Woodlands CIQ, Singapore, proceed downstairs for outbound Singapore immigration, and inbound Malaysia immigration and customs clearance.

Step 4: Board the Shuttle Tebrau and enjoy your ride

Take a seat or stand on the free-seating Shuttle Tebrau. While ticket sales are limited to 320 passengers per train, the Shuttle Tebrau only has seats for the first 240 passengers (60 seats per train), assuming it runs with the usual rake of 4 ASC (Hyundai-Padu-Seria) coaches. If you want a seat, remember to board fast, but then again, it’s only a 5-minute ride across the Causeway and I personally don’t bother sitting down on most journeys anyway.

93dn JB Sentral Woodlands CIQ with Gates 023

Step 5: Arrival at Destination Station

At JB Sentral, Malaysia, simply proceed upstairs and be on your merry way in Malaysia as you have already cleared Malaysian immigration and customs in Woodlands CIQ earlier.

At Woodlands CIQ, Singapore, proceed for inbound Singapore immigration and customs clearance.

78up Woodlands CIQ JB Sentral 001

The new Shuttle Tebrau ticketing system and procedures is expected to bring a lot more convenience to Malaysians who may use this service on an almost-daily basis as there is now no need to fumble over which ticket to reprint and produce, but rather, to simply make their purchase online every day using Malaysian internet banking accounts using their saved passport details for a fast and efficient ticketing and boarding procedure in both bounds.

Shuttle Tebrau Singaporeans Can Buy JB Train Tickets Online Again

UPDATE (10 October 2019): KTM Berhad has finally woken up to provide an internationally-acceptable mode of payments by credit and debit cards for the new KTM Shuttle Tebrau ticketing system, 9 days after its launch!

Click here to see how to buy your KTM Shuttle Tebrau ticket with your credit or debit card!

Click here for more Shuttle Tebrau Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)!

122 comments

          1. At the beginning of this post you say ‘passport’ is your ‘ticket’ at both Malaysian and Singaporean check points yet further on you say a physical ticket is required to board train at Woodlands. Perhaps I misread.
            So …to clarify… we use our passport to board at JB and have a physical ticket scanned to board at Woodlands ???

            1. Yes. You need your passport at Woodlands too as it will be tallied with your ticket. Your ticket can be a softcopy shown on your phone, hence it need not be reprinted like in the old system.

              1. Hello! I’ve just purchased my tickets via the Tebrau Shuttle website but am not able to view my tickets. Would you know where I could find/download these tickets? Thank you!

  1. What should I do if I change my old passport to new one (passport expired soon)? My train ticket (old passport number) will void? am i still able to boarding?

    1. Yes, your ticket will be void as your passport is your ticket. Cancel your ticket and buy a new one.

                  1. Say I bought my KTM ticket with my old passport with 6 mths expiry and I got a new passport. Can I still use my old passport for board the train? I will use my new passport at immigration. It should not matter anyway as your system checks on the details at time of purchase of tickets. Right?

  2. I did not receive any e-tickets in my email. So can I ask for the ticket in Woodlands before I board the train?

    1. No, this is a ticketless system. Check your profile for the receipt and use your passport to board.

  3. Hi, I have problem with my payment initially during booking. Now I rebook but it doesn’t allow me, it is showing “Passport no already exists in this trip”. How do I resolve this?

  4. I’ve booked online and discovered i have add additional digit in my passport no. Can i go to the office to update with the correct passport no?

  5. hi.. can i change the time of departure? the time book was 1615 but need to change perhaps and hour earlier.is tt possible?

  6. Hi, I was about to purchase my ticket but the window close unexpectedly. I tried re-purchasing the ticket but it just shows ‘Passport No already exists in this trip’. I don’t have my account logged in so I can’t check my ticket history.

    1. Hello Sheryl, could you advise if the page works for you after some wait? I encountered the same issue too but was with payment but I have not keyed in 2FA yet. Thanks!

  7. do i need to fill up the embarkation/dismbarkation white card each time i go in form jbsentral to woodlands and vice versa? tq for the answer.

      1. Its actually my first time taking the shuttle train from jbsentral and vice versa. its been 20 over years i have not gone to Singapore. Thanks for the enlightenment. How bout the tickets i bought online, should i get the printed versions from the counter or just show the tickets from my handphone? And lastly, the embarkation /disembarkation card can get from the counter?

        1. Read the article you are commenting on for your train questions, it’s clearly described. Immigration cards can be picked up from Woodlands Train Checkpoint before queuing up for immigration.

  8. Hi, i also had a problem while booking and have not made payment, but now when i’m rebooking the webpage keeps indicating “Passport Num alr exist in this trip”. As i was logged in under guest account, are there any ways i can cancel previous trip so i can re-book?

      1. While it was loading to the payment page (not paid yet), i accidentally selected Back and was directed back to the booking page and had to re key in the passport details. That is when the “Passport num alr exist” shows up.

        1. Wait for 15 minutes and try again to see if it works. Do not key in the same passport number within this 15 minutes.

            1. Hello! I encountered the same issue too. Not sure how long wait for it to be refreshed. Has been more than 15min and it didn’t work.

                1. No at that point of time I have not keyed in 2FA yet. But I managed to book after 1hr. Thanks for ur prompt reply! Happy CNY!

  9. Hi. I booked a 2 way trip in Nov 2019. Wlds – Jb n vice versa. but unfortumately on my return home trip i did not take the train but car instead. if i book a new trip next week will my passport be affected during my trip home? since the previous was not scanned.

  10. hi..i had booked a ticket for 4th feb to n fro. but now intend to stay for 1 night in jb so i thought of booking a return trip on the 5th feb. will my 4th return trip be affected? if i want to cancel the return trip for the 4th feb tic i must go to the counter right?

    1. I’ll need more details to understand the scenario. Did you buy a return Woodlands-JB-Woodlands ticket in a single transaction for RM32? Or two separate one-way bookings for RM16+RM5? Have you bought a one-way or return ticket for the 5th Feb so far?

  11. i booked 3 ( 3 pax) return trip for 4th feb. but i tot of staying for 1 night in JB. so i had want to book for jb to wlds only for 5th feb.
    possible?

    1. So your return trip means Woodlands-JB-Woodlands for RM32 per person? Your JB to Woodlands on 5th Feb is not a problem. I need to know what your ticket is to see if you can cancel it.

  12. yes my return trips means WLDS-JB-WLDS for RM32 per person for the 4th feb.. but tot of spending the night and return to spore on the 5th. i intend to book for the 1 way return on the 5th. can i just ignore the jb-wlds tic for the 4th or i have to cancel it at the counter
    u want to see my tics?

    1. No need to see the ticket, thanks. So, return tickets have to be cancelled together ie. both ways must be cancelled, keeping one leg is not possible. What you can try to do is to cancel your JB-Woodlands leg upon arrival at JB Sentral, since you have already used up the first portion. You can’t cancel it beforehand as, mentioned above, both legs will be cancelled together. I’m not sure if KTM will actually allow this since it’s not part of the original condition, so please update me if you do try this method out.

  13. ok can will update u definitely..but cani just booked for one way return tic for jb -wlds for the 5th incase on that day itself or when i approached the counter at jb for canceling or they dun have tics availabe on the 5th esp on the time frame that i want.
    i really appreciate loads yr time in replying

  14. Anyone experience Shuttle Tebrau in 2022?

    Do we still arrive just 30 minutes before departure (no point to arrive earlier if gate is not open)?

  15. Hello I have an eticket booked for friday but i just collected my new passport today. Can i bring my old passport to verify that im the same person but board with my new passport?

    1. Your passport verification will fail on check-in. You can try to verify your identity with the gate staff but it depends on luck as your passport is your ticket.

      1. I see, thank you for the swifty response! Will you suggest I cancel it at the counter and immediately rebook it before entry?

        1. If you want to be very safe you can do it now before demand spikes up closer to the travel date when someone snaps up your ticket immediately when you cancel it. If you booked online you must cancel it online.

  16. Hi, I have entered a wrong name on the ticket, but the passport number is correct, do I need to amend my name on the ticket?

      1. Only the surname and one of the other name. Not the full name as reflected on the passport.

        1. If compared to the actual passport name, is it almost similar? Or the typo could refer to a different person?

            1. That’s not a typo but missing names. You will most likely be denied boarding. I suggest you cancel your ticket and buy a new one.

  17. hi i realised my middle name is missing from the ticket, but it is in the passport. first and last name and passport number is ok. is this going to be an issue?

  18. thank you, i am suppose to travel tomorrow though. any possibility i can still get through? or advice on how i can get through?

    1. From Woodlands, speak with the person scanning your passport. From JB Sentral, find a person standing near the passport gates.

  19. got it, any possibility of being denied entry though.. it was a genuine mistake on my end but still hoping to get through.

  20. Hi is there any way to check on the details we have keyed in for the tickets eg. Expiry date of passport, it doesn’t reflect on the tickets. Just want to make sure that it’s correct, to avoid deny of entry.

      1. I booked 5 tickets in total, I’m unable to view the expiry dates for the tickets. Thanks for the quick response!

            1. Not possible. Just go to the boarding gate early and scan it early. If it fails, go to the ticket counter to update the details.

  21. Hi, I have a typo in my booking. Eg name is Tan ah Cheow but I typed it as Tan ah Chau. However passport details are correct. Will I be denied entry?

  22. Hello, could you say me what I need to indicate in “full name” on the ktmb’s app. Is it surname and name? What is the order? For example James Bond or Bond James? Best and sorry for my bad English.

  23. Thanks but I don’t know if I need to write only my first name or my first name and surname. (or surname and first name). I don’t understand this notion “full name”

    1. Follow exactly what your name in your passport is. Your passport is your ticket and you need to scan it.

  24. Ok thanks but if my first name is James and last name is Bond what I write? Only Bond or James Bond or Bond James. Best.

  25. Hello I accidentally misspelled my friend’s name supposed to be “Jaime” but I spelled as “Jamie”. Can she still board?

  26. hi! i made an account on KTM ticketing website and realised my name was keyed in wrongly (there was a typo, Nabilh instead of Nabilah). is there any way to rectify it or do i just purchase my tickets and approach the staff on the day itself for any inquiries?

  27. I got the error “Duplicated passport number for onward trip” but my payment did not go through for the tickets. How?

  28. I too got the error message “duplicated passport number for onward trip”. Where can i find the ticket history ?

          1. The same thing happened to me and I managed to complete the purchase after waiting for 15mins. Thank you!!

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