Envision the past. The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station once served as the city’s main railway hub. Before KL Sentral Station opened in 2001 Kuala Lumpur Railway Station played a vital role.
Today we stand before a station of beautiful architecture. This is Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Construction of the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station began in 1910. It was fully completed in 1917. The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station replaced an older station on the same site.
Arthur Benison Hubback designed the station. He was a British Architectural Assistant to the Director of Public Works. Hubback incorporated a unique Anglo-Asian design. The style is described as Indo-Saracenic. This style blends Western classical architecture with Mughal and Moorish influences. Look at the domed turrets. They resemble palaces of Rajasthan in India. Notice the pointed arches. They are associated with Middle Eastern buildings.
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station cost $23000. It became operational on 1 August 1910. After Resident Station closed the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station became the main station.
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station once housed a 170-room hotel. It was called the Station Hotel. The hotel included a famous lobby bar. The hotel and bar closed in 2011. Now only the Station Heritage Restaurant remains.
Let’s talk about the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station’s platforms. The station has three platforms. They serve four railway tracks. Platforms 1 and 4 are on the sides. Platforms 2 and 3 form an island in the middle. The platforms were connected by tunnels.
Until 2001 platforms 1 and 4 served intercity trains. After intercity services moved to KL Sentral platforms 1 and 4 transferred goods. In 2011 the platforms were repurposed for the ETS.
When KTM Komuter services began in 1995 platforms 2a and 3a served the trains. The old island platform was too low for Komuter trains. In 2009 renovations raised the old island platform. This allowed Komuter and ETS trains to stop there.
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station’s main structure features Raj styling. It is a mixture of Western and Mughal design. Horseshoe and ogee arches dominate. Large chhatris sit at the corners of the building. These elements are comparable to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
The platforms are covered by steel-framed shelters. Originally, the roofs were glazed. They were partially opened to let smoke escape from steam locomotives. The sides of the platforms have walls in the same style as the main building.
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station has undergone renovations. The north wing was converted for offices by 1967. In 1986 the station was extensively refurbished. The interior was modernized while the exterior was preserved. A south wing extension was built. It sported Raj stylings.
In 2014, Architectural Digest listed Kuala Lumpur Railway Station as one of the world’s most beautiful train stations. A visitor in 1913 compared the station to the Gare du Nord in Paris. Another called it the Taj Mahal of the Train World.
While its role has changed the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station remains. It stands as a testament to Kuala Lumpur’s rich history and architectural heritage.