The first thing you should do when stepping foot in Ipoh is to visit this majestic Ipoh Railway Station.
We’ve put together this guide on everything you need to know while visiting this beautiful building.
Table of Contents
- History of Ipoh Railway Station
- The Majestic Station Hotel Ipoh
- Wedding Photoshoots at Ipoh Railway Station
- Ipoh Heritage Walk
- ETS Train Station
- How To Get There: Ipoh Railway Station
- Do you need to book in advance to visit Ipoh Railway Station?
- What attractions are near Ipoh Railway Station?
- How much is the parking fees?
History of Ipoh Railway Station
Did you know that the very first railway station in Ipoh was constructed in 1894?
It served the town for 20 years. It was a single storey building with no accommodations.
(Pic via malayrailway.com)
In 1914, the construction of a second station and hotel to replace it began and was completed in 1917. This is the current building you’ll be looking at in Ipoh today.
(Pic via geocaching.com)
It was designed by the prolific and talented British architect, A.B Hubback, who also built Kuala Lumpur’s famous train station.
(Image via @songwei1102)
And now, after more than 100 years, through the operational years of the Federated Malay States Railways and its eventual successor, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad, the station’s overall layout has remained largely unchanged.
Like her sister, Kuala Lumpur train station, this one also sports the facade of British Raj with its Moorish domes, towers and quaint verandahs. Super impressive!
The Majestic Station Hotel Ipoh
Sharing the same building as the iconic in Ipoh Railway Station is the Majestic Station Hotel Ipoh built on the second floor of the building.
(Pic via ipohtalk.com)
It’s Moorish and Victorian-inspired architecture, situated in the city center, offers a breathtaking sight right in the middle of the busy city.
(Pic via trekearth.com)
The hotel was closed down in 2011. Since then, it is abandoned.
Update (Jan 2020): A deal has been signed to redevelop and rename it as Hotel Grand Majestic, which is targeted to be open in 2023. Yay!
Wedding Photoshoots at Ipoh Railway Station
Ipoh is renowned for its British-style beauty architecture.
There are tons of locations around Ipoh that are really suitable for a wedding photo shoot and of course, one of them is Ipoh Railway Station.
(Photo via Steven Yam Photography)
(Pic via Zach Chin Photography)
Featuring a mixture of Neo-Moorish and Indo-Saracenic elements with hints of British Indian styles, the Ipoh Railway Station stands grandly in the heart of Ipoh’s colonial center.
Not only for wedding photoshoots, but this spot is also perfect for your Instagram feed.
(Image via @hazriharis)
Get your phones and cameras out and snap some memories here.
Read also: 32 Stunning Instagram Spots in Ipoh (With Exact Location!)
Ipoh Heritage Walk
Ipoh Heritage Walk is a soothing walk through Ipoh’s compact and historic old town district, starting from the Ipoh Railway Station.
Surrounding the railway station, there are lots of interesting places to explore on foot.
Here are some of the famous heritage buildings to explore:
- Ipoh Railway Station (Starting Point)
- Cenotaph War Memorial
- Ipoh Town Hall
- Ipoh High Court
- Royal Ipoh Club (Padang Ipoh)
- St. John’s Anglican Church
- SM St Michael
- Masjid India Muslim Ipoh
- Durbar at FMS
- HSBC Ipoh Branch
- SPH De Silva Building
- OCBC Bank Ipoh Branch
- Standard Chartered Ipoh Branch
- Arlene House (Kapitan Chung Thye Phin Building)
- Mercantile Bank
- Perak Hydro Building
- Birch Memorial Clock Tower
- Mikasa Photo Studio (Japanese Spy)
- Han Chin Pet Soo
- Concubine Lane
Simply follow this easy trail on Google Maps:
Here’s a handy checklist to mark off as you visit these places:
ETS Train Station
The Electric Train Service (ETS) services currently operate out of Ipoh Railway Station.
ETS services are trains that travel in two directions from Ipoh:
- North: Ipoh to the top end of the West Coast Railway to Padang Besar (on the border with Thailand) with stops at large stations in between such as Butterworth (for Penang Island) and Alor Setar (for connections to Kedah and the ferry to Langkawi).
- South: Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur and Gemas where you can change trains for the journey to Johor Bahru and thereafter the shuttle train to Singapore.
Read also: You Can Now Travel To Ipoh In ETS Business Class Train For Only RM50 (Meals Included)
How To Get There: Ipoh Railway Station
Since the introduction of ETS (Electric Train Service) from KL to Ipoh, this is the easiest and most reliable mode of transportation between the cities.
It would take the ETS train about 2.5 – 3 hours to reach Ipoh Railway Station from KL Sentral station, and vice-versa.
Here’s a complete guide to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh:
How To Get From KL To Ipoh – By Train, Bus, Flight and Car
Don’t Miss This Stop
An attraction by itself, the Ipoh Railway Station’s central location also means that it is fairly easy to get to anywhere from there.
If you’re here at night, enjoy the sparkling majestic lights of this building.
Your Ipoh itinerary would simply be incomplete without dropping by the Ipoh Railway Station.
Get Discounts & Promotions
From time-to-time, we’ll send out discounts and latest news about Ipoh to our private email list. Join the Exclusive list for free!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to book in advance to visit Ipoh Railway Station?
No. Ipoh Railway Station is open to the public. Only the ones who purchase train tickets are allowed into the train platform areas. Otherwise, you are free to walk around the corridors and garden.
What attractions are near Ipoh Railway Station?
Ipoh Railway Station is situated at the heart of Ipoh city. It is walking distance from all other major attractions near Ipoh’s old and new town. Ipoh Town Hall is the nearest attraction just across the road.
How much is the parking fees?
There is free parking along the roads but if you’re planning to park overnight or for a few days, you’ll have to park at the MBI Parking (RM8/day) or the KTMB parking (Price Varies – Check with parking attendant)
7 comments
Hello, can I use the photos of this article for my assignment purpose? I will put credits to you.
Hi Mei Yuen, sure go ahead. Make sure to credit back to this article ya 🙂
Hi, Thank you for the great article. I’m from Ipoh but shame to say I have not visited The Majestic Hotel. What a wonderful news that it is going to reopen soon! I would like to find out more about the reopening, would you mind to share more information with me?
Thanks Jun. As of now, we don’t have any updates yet. We will update here on our blog if and when The Majestic Hotel reopens. 🙂
we are travelling by train and would like to stop at IPOH for a day visit and then continue travelling to Penang – we will have luggage – are there any places to store or lock or luggage at the train station so that we can explore ipoh for a stop while going to penang?
Hi Nancy, as far as we know, there are no luggage storage facility at the Ipoh Railway station. Upon searching through some forum, someone suggested that you may try contacting the station master and they may just allow you to leave the luggage at the booking office. Keep in mind that this arrangement is informal.
A few other alternatives is to leave them at a nearby hotel or book a SoCar to drive around Ipoh.
Thanks for the beautiful blog