Bangi - KLS - Gemas - Kluang, June 2, 2016 (Thursday)
Although we could have taken a faster and shorter route to Tanah Merah, no it is not us to do so ha ha. Instead, we chose to take a train ride down to Kluang and then take the Express Rakyat Timuran up to Tanah Merah. As usual, Sam came along with me. Our journey started early in the morning as at 0745 we were already at Bangi station waiting for our Komuter train to KLS.
As usual, as well my photoshoot started at Bangi Station. It is normal now to see those waiting for the train glued to their handphone screen. They were the Thursday morning crowd going to work. It was a beautiful day with the morning sun sneaking into the station. It was a beautiful morning even the magpies came out and basking under the morning sun near the station. I caught two of them with my camera. Apart from my usual, I brought along a book Midnight In Siberia: A Train Journey Into The Heart of Russia with me that I intended to read.
The Komuter arrived and we boarded at 0757. I had been boarding the Komuter train to work for 13 years and since my retirement, the occasional rides like that morning was even more beautiful and enjoyable. I was into the ride in so many ways - body and soul as they say. It was truly an engaging ride.
Our arrival at KL Sentral at 0843 was not that significant as we were among the crowd. It was as busy as ever during weekdays. We went straight away to find a good breakfast. Not sure where we had breakfast but as we were eating our friends started to populate the trip WA group with notifications of their whereabouts. The rest of the gang arrived and they parked themselves on level 2 at the KFC. After we had finished our breakfast we joined them there. When this group meets we will talk and joke around without realising things around us. That was what exactly happened, we almost missed our ETS train to Gemas. Just imagined how long we were at the KFC as our train departed KL Sentral at 1159. It was the ETS 9201 and our seats were at Coach D, 1C and 1D.
Those boarded at KL Sentral, apart from the two of us, were Hassin, Hafizul, Haris and his son. Whereas, BCA and Faisal boarded the same ETS at Butterworth and Batu Gajah respectively. Apiz and Pojie would wait and join us at Gemas. Actually, the two of them train-spotted us at a bridge just before approaching Gemas. It was hot outside and they looked like ghosts with the hood pulled up covering everything except their faces. So in total, there were 10 of us.
We arrived at Gemas Platform 4 at 1415 and on time. The choices that we had when we arrived were either to wait on the platform for our next shuttle to Kluang or go out of the platform to wait at the waiting area. It was a no brainer for all of us. Of course, we agreed to be on the platform to wait for our train.
Hassin had placed an order for Nasi Ayam Gemas and ice tea for all of us to be delivered at Gemas Station. So lunch was taken care off. However, Sam and I were not that hungry as we had quite a heavy breakfast. We sat around talking while sipping our iced tea. The ETS train we just disembarked was still at Platform 4 then and being left idle. We took the opportunity to photograph it inside and out. At 1540 however, a shuttle from Tampin to JB arrived at the station and we scrambled not only to capture its arrival at Platform 5 but it was parked next to the ETS we managed to capture the old and new of sort as well. The locomotive of the shuttle was 25106 Pulau Ketam.
With the shuttle arrived, we knew that the passengers for the ETS return trip will board soon and it would depart the station. Actually, both the ETS and Shuttle left one after the other. Once that happened the platform was really empty except for all of us running around like kids ha ha.
Our train eventually arrived at 1624 from JB. A familiar Mat Kilau, engine 24102, was pulling the workload. Just like celebrity Mat Kilau received due attention from us. We knew as soon as the passengers from south disembarked Mat Kilau will be detached and reattached at the other end to pull us back to JB. So we waited at that end to watch the process as if we had never seen it before. Once that done we took photos with Mat Kilau ha ha ha.
We boarded the shuttle to JB at 1643 and the train departed at 1645. Once on the train, we just sat or took a quick nap. We were much familiar with the train and route. Not much of activity from us. I guess some of us were tired and sleepy.
Quietly we arrived at Kluang Station at a late evening of 1858. The famous Kluang Railcoffee Cafe which was at the station was already closed by now and we totally missed the opportunity. The train was delayed a bit if not we would have gotten to have at least coffee and bread. There is also a stretch of street art at Jalan Merdeka. If you were from the station just walk down Jalan Sultanah and the street art will start at the alley next to the Hotel Ria. Since it was late evening already my wife and I decided just to lepak at the station and had dinner at the warung just outside of the station. We waited until we said our jamak prayers first before we walked to the warung.
We ordered whatever we can at the warung. The food were not bad and the owner when we chatted him lamented that the business was just so so for them. I could understand what he was saying as most of his business was relying on the train frequencies and services. Come to think of it I was am not sure whether he has any collaboration with the people at the station, especially the Station Master on how to help each other. His biggest competitor, Kluang Railcoffee, is already well known to Malaysians and maybe he should not compete but leverage or compliment them. As a community builder, all of them should really help each other to make not only the station more a community centre like those in the rural areas but to help create increase the train’s ridership.
Near to 2000, we walked back to the station to wait for our train the Express Rakyat Timuran. We still had about an hour before our train scheduled to arrive. Most of the gang sat down talking and I took the opportunity to do night photography of the station. The fact the historic station will soon be demolished for the new development of the double-tracking project prompted me even more to capture every corner of the station. I did not have my tripod with me so I just used whatever solid and stable object to shoot in slow speed. When I was done the train was still a few minutes away and I joined the guys chatting.
Out of the darkness of the night, a bright light emerged out of a corner at 2104. It was our train and we gathered our things in preparation to board.
Once onboard we were home. The ADNS coach was really our second home by then. If we were not in it for a few months we will miss it terribly. Not only we missed the coach but being in its bed and sleeping in what we called as Rock And Roll Hotel. Not only we were very familiar with the coach almost all the train staff were also familiar to us. So being on board that night was as wonderful as we felt the first time we were. During this trip was also special as Hassin ordered a special karipap made by the wife of one of the staff at Kluang Station. I was introduced to karipap telur and it was delicious. The main reason for the name is because in each of the karipap was quarter of boiled egg.
Ticket, Ticket, Warrant Tickets. It was a case of everyone knows your names for us. The first phrase was an old school joke for me and my school friends while the second one borrowing from the well-known sit-com Cheers which really described how we were on that train that night.
Once I was in the Rock and Roll Hotel’s bed I refused to go anywhere and the long day took a toll on me and I had one of the best sleep on the train that night.
Kluang - Tanah Merah, June 3, 2016 (Friday)
I woke up when the train stopped at Kuala Lipis at 0519. It was a long stop not only for suboh but it was also the changing of the crew. I took a step out on the platform and I witnessed the replacement crew getting on board. I was told, please correct me if I am wrong, for Express Timuran the crew changes at Gemas and Kuala Lipis. Which means three crews handled the Express Timuran from JB to Tumpat.
Apiz was also on the platform as if he was looking for a nasi lemak so when I posted his photo online I put a caption, ‘Mano ado nasi lomak pagi-pagi buto ni Apis!’. Seriously, it was a very quiet and refreshing early morning at Kuala Lipis. The gang got words that we would be waiting long as we would cross with another train at Kuala Lipis. At 0524 we crossed with Express Timuran, Train 27, from Tumpat. Our train is also Express Timuran and since the train originated from JB it is numbered as Train 26. To us 26 Up and the other one 27 Down. The 27 Down was late that day, delayed by a few hours. The scheduled crossing supposed to happen at Kokra (Kuala Krau).
It was still dark when we left Kuala Lipis and I stayed in bed. For once I had the bed light working and I could read and write a bit while waiting for the day to break. At 0730 I looked out from my window and the day started to get daylight. I kept on looking out like I always do when on a train in the morning.
Without prompting after we left Merapoh, the last station in Pahang before we crossed the Kelantan border, we walked to the ABC (Air-conditioned Buffet Car) for breakfast. The breakfast to us will start after Merapoh with coffee and a light food that we could get on the train. Normally, I would have mihoon or boiled eggs while Sam a Milo and toast. Then we spent talking until we arrived at Gua Musang where our real breakfast would be.
As soon as we arrived at Gua Musang we jumped out onto the platform to go to the station cafe to buy our proper breakfast of a real Kelantanese fare of nasi belauk, nasi dagang and such. Once we got our breakfast we boarded the BAC again and started to eat. Since we will be crossing with Shuttle 51/53 from Tumpat we will be at the station for a while. Hassin, helping out, acted as our celebrated waiter serving us our drinks. That was one of the reasons why we love to be in the ABC. It is another home on the train for us.
While we were happy having breakfast I saw Syahmi sitting looking prolong out of the window. I joke, ‘terkenang gewe tertinggal kat JB ke?’.
When the train left Gua Musang we also got up and went back to our coach. But we were not long there instead I let Sam sat in her bed and I went to stand at one of the borders of the coaches to take photos. Once in a while, I popped my head and my camera out of the moving train to capture the journey. At this point mostly the beautiful jungle of Malaysia. The train would passed gorges, small bridges and sometimes through very narrow passages. When you stand at the door and looking down you could see the forest and river down below. It was beautiful. Malaysia is really beautiful and lot of us missed that fact.
At 0831 we approached Bertam Baru and we were informed that we would be crossing with a local shuttle train. After disembarking the passengers our train pushed back and pulled into the next platform. It was for a while and some got down to buy something at the station. All of us with our camera jumped out, crossed the track and started to move around and shooting whatever we like. I was the same, in fact I walked to the front of the train and captured the length of the train. Since the local train will come through the bridge in front of us I planned my next shot at an angle so that I could capture the oncoming train meeting our train. I crossed the track and sat waiting. While waiting I continued to look around and with my history, with Bertam I could really relate to the place.
After 20 minutes of waiting the shuttle approached the bridge and I shot non-stop until the two trains sort of meet head-to-head, Pulau Besar 25102 meets Pulau Perhentian 25109, at 0851. We waited until the local train came to a complete stop before we climbed onto our train again.
Once our train departed Bertam Baru I continued to stand at the door looking out. Immediately we crossed Betis River and into Kelantan rural. As I was passing some of the areas I tried to imagine that most of the places were covered by yellowish flood during the last big one in Kelantan. The sheer height and the vastness of hilly terrain covered by the flood was unimaginable and unbelievable.
Once in awhile, I saw kampung kids playing and swimming in their own manmade ‘pool’. Happy as any kids should be, especially during school holidays, reminding of my own growing up in either Raub or Kuantan.
Apart from the fruits in season there were a lot of ‘petai’ trees as well along the route ha ha ha.
After the jungle territory we approached the historic Kemubu bridge at 0934. There was a ‘pasar sari, Pasar Jumaat Kemubu’, going on before the bridge. Looking the going on down there I was tempted to just jump and joined them. Maybe an overnight at Kemubu one day would do it.
We crossed Sungai Galas via the Kemubu Bridge and immediately at the end of the bridge is the Kemubu Station. Being an Express train we did not stop there. Today our final destination was Tanah Merah. After Kemubu we travelled towards Dabong and all along we did not leave Sungai Galas on our left as the train line is built parallel with the river until Station Dabong. Thus I was not surprised that all the stations on this line, including Dabong town, were under deep water during the big flood. On our right was the State Road D231 Jalan Dabong Kemubu.
We arrived at Dabong Station at around 1100. Dabong is one of the major station along this line and at Dabong also where the major schools are where most of the students around the area go to. Thus it is a major stop where trains normally cross or depart from. It is a local events around the arrivals and departures of trains. We jumped out onto the station to catch whatever we felt like. The very least to stretch ourself on the platform.
After Dabong the line bend around the Sungai Galas until Kuala Gris when the train separated totally from Sungai Galas to continue the route inward towards another rural station Bukit Abu. Bukit Abu is a rubber plantation station with small kampung nearby. The train moved at a constant speed going through another stretch of jungle passing through Kampung Baru Bukit Abu or to us Slow Pok Long. Then Ulu Temiang, Kg Baru Sg Mengkuang, Manek Urai, Pahi, and eventually Kuala Krai another major station that we stopped. As usual, when the train stopped we jumped out.
From Kuala Krai we travelled mostly on flat land with kampung on both side of the train. We crossed Guillemard Bridge at around 1120, crossing Kelantan River which is actually Sungai Galas before, that we would be going to in the evening. After crossing the river we were just a few minutes away from our station Tanah Merah.
We disembarked at Tanah Merah at 1157 and from there we walked, crossed the main road to Humaira Hotel. After we checked in at 1226 Sam and I went to the Pasar Tanah Merah to have lunch. It was our favourite place to go for food. As we were walking down the alley I saw a family sitting or resting by the wall. It was the backdrop and the yellow line that intrigued me and I captured them secretly. At the Pasar, Sam also bought a few things there. I also bought a few local kueh. Mi Sup (Noodle Soup) is legendary there. We sat down at one of the stalls and ordered our mi sup. We ate slowly to have the full flavour of the mi sup.
The Guillemard Bridge
Since it was Friday and almost midday most of the shops were closed when we walked back to the hotel to rest. Sam decided not o follow us to The Guillemard so after prayers she rested a bit more.
At 1531 the gang and I went back to the Tanah Merah Pasar before we boarded a bus to explore Guillemard Bridge. The guys wanted to have some more mi sup ha ha ha.
The Guillemard Bridge was at Kg Kusial Bharu, Tanah Merah and we had to take a bus there. After we had our mi sup we walked to the bus station which was two blocks away from the pasar. When we arrived we had to wait a bit for the next bus to arrive. When the bus came we boarded and interestingly the destination of the bus was Paloh Rawa. Being a Rao I was intrigued and there must be a community of Rao there. The exact place we disembarked at 1645 was actually Chekok Mengkudu. From there we had to walk a bit. When we got down to the delta level below the bridge the sun was on our right so a good photography was a bit challenging. We continued to walk underneath the bridge to cross to the other side to get the best angle of the bridge. Lucky for us there were small trees where we could view and shoot the bridge. Even that I was not satisfied as it was a 1600 sun. Still hot and too bright. I made the best of it and tried a few close-up shots.
Quite a number of cows around grazing and they looked up when they saw us approaching as if wondering what in the hell these guys were doing? They seemed to be disturbed by us being there.
We spent about 45 minutes to take photos and whatnot. It really was not the right time to capture the bridge. Nevertheless, we did our best.
At 1734 we started to walk back to the bus stop to wait for our bus back to Tanah Merah.
At 1743 we were back at Tanah Merah and with nothing much to do I just went up to the room to rest. After we had taken our bath and prayers we were not sure about dinner, only when the guys texted us that they were going to have dinner or maybe just ‘mengopi’ at the new cafe across the street.
It was on the first floor and a new cafe. I did not know how to make of the cafe but it seemed that the owner was just trying his luck with the cafe. We ordered some food and the taste was just ok. Nothing special.
After dinner, we went back to our hotel to sleep.
Tanah Merah - Wakaf Baru, June 4, 2016 (Saturday)
There was a slight deviation for our journey for all of us on the last days. All of us would be taking the Shuttle train from Tanah Merah to Wakaf Baru. However, from Wakaf Baru, due to a family commitment that night and Sunday, Sam and I would be flying home. Whereas the rest of the guys will be taking the night bus back to KL.
We checked out early at around 0830 and walked to the station. Our train was at 0940, as usual, we were customarily early because we want to have breakfast at the station’s cafe as well as just being at the station longer as we could. At 0856 we were having breakfast at the station already. After that, I had a lot of time still and I went around shooting the station from different angles.
At 0940 the local train from Kuala Lipis to Tumpat came into view and came to a complete stopped 2 minutes later for us to board. Once onboard the old feeling came rushing to me. It had been years I had that feeling, travelling with the locals and stopping at every halts and station along the route. As usual, all of us took positions where it was advantageous for our photography as well as wanting the best experience to be on the train.
I saw Syahmi and Hafizul sat at the front of our coach together with the TC and they were having a storytelling session. Not every day that you get to hear the ‘war’ stories from the staff working the line daily. I stood near one of the doors to capture the scene outside including al the halts that we stopped. At the door were two shy youths who were later shared our taxi to KB.
The halts that we stopped at before we arrived at Pasir Mas were;
0952 Bukit Panau -where a mother with her two young sons disembarked.
0957 Sg Keladi - a nice halt where the kampung folks use as a place to meet and chat
1003 Tok Uban - where a family of five boarded and a Pak Cik disembarked. When I saw this I could not help but please. Not only for witnessing this daily transportation still being used but also the role of the local train in this sector as social service rather than a business.
1007 Chicha Tinggi
After Chica Tinggi the train slowed down a bit and started to travel within an area that I was really familiar with where both sides of the tracks started to include small villages, kampung. Pasir Mas is another station dear to my heart. There was a part of my life when I spent endless morning and evening at the station observing the motions. We approached the station at 1012. There were a lot of passengers at the stations disembarking, boarding, waiting as well as killing times at the station. Lively as it was used to be. Zul was at the platform to meet us. Those supposed to disembark and boarded did so immediately because as soon as it was done the train pushed back and we were filled with joy almost punching the air. We knew straight away we would pull in to the next platform to wait for another local train to come and cross there. All of us were at the train doors waiting and ready with either our camera or handphone or both to capture the event.
At 1032 we crossed with the shuttle from Tumpat bound for Dabong. This is the train that will pick up the school children at Dabong on its return journey back to Tumpat. Once the passengers boarded the shuttle left the station first and our train left a few minutes later.
There is only one halt between Pasir Mas and Wakaf Baru. We arrived at Bunut Susu at 1046 and did just a customary stop.
We started to prepare for our arrival at Wakaf Baru. Despite that, later Sam realised she left her medical back pad on the train. We arrived at our last station Wakaf Baru at 1051. We said goodbye to everyone and shared a taxi with the two shy boys on board that I mentioned before to go to KB. Our flight was slightly after 1600 and we had a lot of times to kill. Our first stop when we were in KB was the Pasar Khadijah to eat. I had the Laksam that I did not get to eat at Pasar Tanah Merah. We ate slowly among the chaos of the place and enjoyed our food.
After the food, we took a stroll inside the Pasar and bought a little bit of serunding and stuff. Even with the slow strolling, we had more time. We decided to leave for the airport early and to have lunch and pray there. When we came with the taxi from Wakaf Baru Station I told the driver that we would be going to the airport at around 1500 and we sort of plan for him to pick and send us to the airport. Since we were early I called him but failed to connect to him after several calls. In the end, I left him a message and took another taxi to the airport.
Once at the airport at 1419 we straight away checked in at the MAS counter. Our flight was MH1397.
We were airborne over KB at 1648 and landed safely at KLIA at 1730. Another train adventure came to a close.
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