KL Sentral to MidValley

Thank goodness for events such as the Malaysia Chess Festival which gave my wife and I the perfect excuse to travel down to Kuala Lumpur for a short break from the mundane. While I played chess, she spent the time catching up with a few of her old personal friends. We also had the chance to meet up with some friends from Seremban and a relative from Petaling Jaya.

We took the electric train to Kuala Lumpur. A mere four hours in the train and there we were at KL Central. Normally, we would then connect to the Cititel Midvalley with the KTM Komuter train but years of taking this mode of transport have made us a little wary of their uneven schedule. For example, if one reaches KL at noon and happens to miss the 12.44pm KTM Komuter train to the Midvalley station, the next train would only arrive at 1.44pm. That's a one-hour wait! With all the luggage to drag along, this is not something anyone would look forward to.

Other than to call a taxi or service the Grab service, what alternative is there? Well, there is one and it is the most convenient connection, in my opinion: the RapidKL light rail transit (LRT) line that connects KL Central to the Abdullah Hukum station. The interval between trains is very short. The longest I've experienced is a nine-minute wait till the next train. Compare this with the one-hour interval with the KTM Komuter line and tell me which is more efficient! (See the update at the end of this story.)

Actually, there's been this Abdullah Hukum station for a long time already but from the station, it was very difficult to get to the MidValley Mall in the past. One would have to walk a circuitous route to get there under rain or shine. 

Then in the second half of 2020, the linkway that connected the rail station to the MidValley Mall through the KL Eco City building finally opened. This linkway could have been ready earlier but there were some mishaps during its construction. Anyway when the linkway finally opened to the public, the movement control order (MCO) was in full swing. With travel restrictions in force all over the globe, the 2020 edition of the Malaysia Chess Festival was cancelled, as was the 2021 edition too. The Chess Festival this year thus provided me with the right opportunity to use this linkway for the first time.

From the KL Central, it was only a matter of exiting the KTM rail station, take the escalator down to the ground floor and look for the entrances to the LRT station. Never mind the KTM Komuter station entrances that one sees. Just ignore and walk past them into the LRT station for the Kelana Jaya line. Get off at Abdullah Hukum and exit the building. (Note: both the LRT and KTM Komuter lines share this building.) Once outside, turn right and immediately ascend the lone escalator that's located unobtrusively beside the wall. It will take one immediately to the entrance of the linkway. Just keep walking along the whole stretch of the linkway and at the other end will be the entrance to The Gardens Mall. I won't elaborate further on how to reach the MidValley Mall or the Cititel but the leisurely walk there shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

Only two things to look out for if one walks in the other direction, in my opinion. The first is to find the entrance to the linkway from The Gardens Mall. This hole-in-the-wall is located between the Isetan departmental store and the Ichiriki Japanese restaurant on the first floor of The Gardens Mall. The second is that at the end of the linkway, there is no escalator to take one down to the ground floor. You either walk down the staircase or locate the hidden lift. And if the lift is taken, you will suddenly find yourself outside the KL Eco City building. Disconcerting at first but you'll get used to it.

UPDATE 1: Of course, I am not saying that you should not take the KTM Komuter trains to MidValley or The Gardens Mall. You can certainly do so, but you'll need a lot of patience. From KL Central, you can take the Batu Caves-Pulau Sebang line and get down at the Midvalley station. Since I arrive at KL Central by the electric train at 12.15pm from the north, I shall have to catch the 12.44pm, 1.44pm or 2.43pm Komuter trains on this line. Alternatively to alight at the Abdullah Hukum station on the Tanjong Malim-Port Klang Komuter line, the trains to catch from KL Central are at 12.50pm, 2.05pm and 2.22pm. I just don't like the long wait at the train station if I were to miss a train, as if the journey from Bukit Mertajam is not long enough. I just want to arrive at my destination as quickly as possible.

UPDATE 2: Here's a tip for those people travelling to Kuala Lumpur from any point north along the ETS electric train route. If you are getting picked up by car or you want to hail a taxi or Grab car without competing with others, the huge crowds at KL Central can be avoided by getting down at the Kuala Lumpur station. This is one hop before KL Central. Before you leave the platform, look around and savour the unique Moorish-style architecture. This building was built more than a hundred years ago (either in 1910 or 1917, depending on one's point of view) and its roof is supposed to withstand several feet of snow in our tropical weather. I suppose that's the wisdom of the British colonial mind. 😏