Off the beaten track on Malaysia’s Jungle Railway

Personally, I've not been there before, but after reading the following article from Lottie I've a rush in me on starting to find more information about the jungle railway.

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Malaysia’s Jungle Railway is one of the world’s great train journeys that you won’t find in a glossy tourist brochure. Lottie Gross takes in the rainforest views from the train window and discovers the highlights of rural

Malaysia. Asia | February 3, 2012 - 5:35pm GMT | Author: Lottie Gross

Climbing aboard the Jungle Railway is the best way to get off the beaten track and explore rural Malaysia.
Don’t expect Orient Express luxury – this local train offers a no-frills experience, but for the camera-wielding tourist, the journey is full of thrills.
Cutting through the heart of the Malaysian peninsula, the Jungle train weaves through thick, remote jungle and chugs to a halt at little villages where tourists can hop off to get a taste of local Malay culture.
Singapore is a convenient place to start or end an adventure on Malaysia’s Jungle Line.

Leaving the urban jungle of Singapore behind by rail, the scenery soon changes to countryside, farmland and corrugated iron huts speeding past the train window.
Heading north, the train trundles along more than 100 miles of single track towards the town of Gemas – around four hours away.
As the gateway to the Jungle Line and the point at which the line intersects between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Gemas is a busy town considering its small size – better known as a transit point for travellers than a tourist hotspot.
Local ‘shuttle’ and intercity trains leave the bustling town daily, heading north through the thick of the Malaysian rainforest to the end of the line in Tumpat, near the Thai border. The journey between Gemas and Tumpat spans 300 miles.

The Jungle train – in its own charming way – is a run-down silver shell, powered by diesel.
The carriages are simple, offering second class and economy carriages, with no dining car and a temperamental air-conditioning system.
But what the train lacks in comforts, it makes up for in charm and scenery, as breathtaking views of the Malaysian jungle unfold out of the window.
The train regularly grinds to a halt at towns and villages along the way. Some stations and their platforms are well marked, while at others, their names are inked on wooden signs in the ground.
Local women in headscarves board the carriages, hauling oversized bundles of vegetables and wood. Observing men, women and schoolchildren hopping on and off the train is a great way to immerse yourself in Malaysian culture.
A sea of green trees rushes past the window in a blur, occasionally broken up by hilly terrain where sharp rock faces stand to attention beside the tracks.

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For more information, please visit http://www.terminalu.com/asia/malaysias-great-jungle-railway/22622/