The acronym used for Kuala Lumpur – Ipoh Shuttle service, KLS was launched back in December 2008. This is a “guaranteed” 3 hour trip between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh and runs 5 times daily from both ends.
I personally tried this service during Chinese New Year, to avoid the massive festive traffic jam in which I hold a personal record of 13 hours drive home instead of the normal 2 hours trip.
From a glance, the trains that were used are pretty old, with some refurbishing to the interior. There are 2 classes, namely economy and 2nd class. Economy is priced at RM10, while 2nd class is at RM18 and the difference between the two is bigger leg space and a 2 x 32″ LCD (general viewing) for the latter. Senior citizens get a whopping discount at RM6 and RM11 for the respective coaches.
The KLS service is certainly value for money, as buses these days charge a minimum of RM17.40 for a approximately 2.5 hours trip. Best thing, you can actually purchase the tickets online @ http://www.ktmb.com.my.
The train will stop at several places and it is noticeable there were alot of external refurbishing done to the railway stops along the way. There are also electric lines parallel and above the tracks, but weirdly it is not connected to the train. I am no expert in trains, but is this considered an electric train service? If it is, then I believe it should be able to achieve a faster speed… Something to ponder upon.
There is one sad thing though, the toilets are poorly maintained. It is not a big issue to me, but it is pretty disgusting for the elderly. Imagine seeing your poo going down the tracks. 
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