"I want to be bored"

Since riding my first train at twelve I began to fall in love with it. I have ridden all types of passenger trains in Malaysia from the ones pulled by locomotives to the ERL plying KL Central and KLIA. I love watching movies portraying trains and in one of them when the hero was asked why he prefers travelling by train instead of flying he answers "I want to bored".

So recently I wanted to be bored by taking a step backwards in the form of taking a long journey by train. Backwards because I was to ride a locomotive pulled train which is a thing of the past in most countries. I and my wife took the Ekspres Sinaran from Seremban to Johor Bahru and back. 

But it turned out my journey was anything but boring. Here I post my story in pictures.   

That's the name of the town where I started my train riding.

A six-car commuter train which is a familiar sight at the Seremban station nowadays.

Passengers going north waiting at Platforn 2 of the Seremban station. This station would look out-dated as my journey south would tell.

 Here comes my train, seven minutes behind schedule, the rationale will be explained later. I'll be on this train for almost six hours.

I booked my tickets early, so they gave me and my wife these front most seats which have no windows!

I am not that stupid to sit on that windowless seat for six hours. So I shifted to this one with window. My wife took a similar seat.

The rebuilt Rembau station. This is what I mean when I said the Seremban station looks out-dated.

Tampin station appropriately renamed Pulau Sebang. Actually the station is situated in the town called Pulau Sebang which is part of Melaka state. As Pulau Sebang is adjacent to Tampin in Negeri Sembilan many people refer Pulau Sebang as Tampin.

New Gemas station with six platforms. Because a few portions of the track from Tampin had been straightened the train arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule. This explains why it arrived in Seremban behind schedule.

Segamat town.

The old station name, something we don't see anymore around here.

The new and old names at Kluang station.

The new Johor Bahru railway station - picture courtesy of www.skycrapercity.com

The old Johor Bahru railway station which is being turned to a railway museum - picture courtesy of www. skycrapercity.com. Unfortunately it was closed during my visit.

My hotel at Jalan Stesen Johor Bahru, only 100 meters from the old station but 300 meters from the new station.

Unlike Seremban there are families staying in the heart of JB City. This apartment block is just behind my hotel.

Time to go home. My train would arrive from Woodlands, Singapore at 1405 hours...

...and depart at 1420 hours.

For the journey home I took first class. I had this seat all by myself.

At Gemas station. My train is on the right and the one on the left would go south.

The old Gemas station.

Old name on old station. I hope the authorities preserve this building.

As parts of the Gemas - Pulau Sebang/Tampin stretch had been straightened we reached PS/Tampin 20 minutes ahead of schedule. During the wait I managed to take a shot of my train.

It is being pulled by Pulau Jerejak, Malaysia's own Alcatraz.

The train slowed down just before Sungai Gadut. But we still reached Seremban 5 minutes ahead of schedule. Bye.