By: Ethan Kok

How different would daily life feel if travelling to work, university, or the hospital took half the time and far less stress? Public transport does far more than simply move people around. It shapes access to work, education and essential services, and influences how cities grow. In Melbourne, the opening of the Metro Tunnel in late 2025 represents a major step forward. By creating a faster, more direct rail link with five new underground stations, the project makes it easier to reach workplaces, universities and major hospitals, highlighting how thoughtful transport planning can improve everyday mobility (Victorian Government, 2025).

Although Malaysia has expanded rail networks such as the MRT, LRT and KTM in major cities, public transport still faces major accessibility challenges. Limited coverage, particularly in suburban and rural areas, means many people continue to rely on private cars (MWM Express, 2024). In addition, weak first- and last-mile connectivity and poor coordination between transport modes make public transit less convenient, contributing to persistent traffic congestion across the country (Mahpar, 2025).

This article will examine where Malaysia’s public transport currently stands, how the Melbourne Metro Tunnel improves accessibility, and what Malaysia might take away from it. It will also outline the government’s plans and how these could help strengthen the system moving forward.

Over the past few years, Malaysia’s public transport has continued to develop, giving commuters more options and making everyday travel a little easier (McAndrew, 2025). However, the system still feels uneven. In many places outside the Klang Valley, public transport isn’t reliable or well connected, with few routes and long gaps between services. As a result, people often find it easier to drive, which only adds to traffic on the roads (MWM Express, 2024). A crucial factor holding the system back is the poor first- and last-mile connectivity, which makes it difficult for commuters to access transit hubs from their homes or workplaces without resorting to private vehicles or ride-hailing services (Mahpar, 2025; Ramachandran, 2022).

This gap not only reduces the practicality of using public transport but also reinforces a strong dependence on cars, leading to persistent traffic congestion and longer travel times in cities like Kuala Lumpur. Limited feeder services, long walking distances to stations and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure contribute to this issue, discouraging potential users from choosing public transit (Mahpar, 2025; Ramachandran, 2022). The government has recognised that better connectivity and stronger first- and last-mile links are needed, but many of these improvements are still in progress, so the system hasn’t quite reached its full potential yet (Gimino et al., 2025).

While Malaysia continues to face gaps in coverage and connectivity, Melbourne shows how careful planning can improve accessibility through its new Metro Tunnel. The Melbourne Metro Tunnel was developed to take pressure off the busy City Loop and prepare the city’s rail network for a growing population, with the aim of making trains more frequent, reliable and easier to use (Victoria State Government, 2024). The broader vision behind the project is to create a new rail corridor through the centre of Melbourne so more people can move across the city without long waits, delays or overcrowded services (Victorian Auditor-General’s Office, 2019).

To achieve this, the tunnel connects the Sunbury line to the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines through two 9-kilometre tunnels and five new underground stations, giving passengers quicker, more direct trips across the city (Victoria’s Big Build, 2024, 2025).

Stations such as Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac make it easier to reach major job areas, universities and hospitals, meaning people can get to work, study or medical appointments without needing to rely as much on cars (Transport Victoria, 2025; Victoria’s Big Build, 2024).

Overall, the Metro Tunnel strengthens Melbourne by improving accessibility and easing pressure on busy lines. More frequent and reliable services reduce crowding and make daily travel easier for commuters. With inclusive station design and fewer people needing to drive, the project supports long-term growth while helping the city become more connected, sustainable and better prepared for future population increases.

If Malaysia focuses on creating a more integrated network, with better station access and stronger links to daily destinations, public transport could realistically become a preferred option. As systems are more accessible and convenient to use, people are far more likely to choose them over cars because the journey feels simpler (Aziz & Mohamad, 2020). This would help ease congestion and improve access to work, education and healthcare, especially for people without cars (Aziz & Mohamad, 2020).

That being said, the Malaysian government is clearly taking steps to strengthen public transport rather than neglect it. In fact, it has introduced several major strategies to move the country away from heavy car use and toward a more connected and reliable transport system. The National Transport Policy 2019–2030 sets out a clear intention to increase public transport use and to make first- and last-mile travel safer, easier and better integrated (Azzuddin & Omar, 2019). The real lesson is that success is not about building more tracks, but about making movement through the whole system easier (Aziz & Mohamad, 2020).

On the ground, we can already see this shift taking shape through new projects. The Putrajaya MRT Line, completed in 2023, was built to widen rail coverage across Greater Kuala Lumpur and give people easier links from neighbourhoods to major job centres (Arup, n.d.). The upcoming MRT3 Circle Line aims to connect MRT, LRT, KTM and monorail services so that changing trains feels smoother and the whole network works more like one joined-up system (MRT Corp., n.d.). Beyond rail, the Malaysian ITS Blueprint looks at improving everyday travel by modernising buses, creating bus rapid transit routes and strengthening feeder services so people can actually get to stations more safely and conveniently (Ministry of Works Malaysia, 2019).

These plans clearly show progress — but they also highlight a serious challenge. Many projects remain in early stages, and momentum often slows when funding shifts, governments change or priorities move elsewhere. Without stable investment, clearer timelines and stronger coordination between agencies, the system risks developing in fragments instead of as one connected network.

Overall, Malaysia is heading in the right direction — but progress will only matter if it reaches people’s everyday lives. The priority now is completing projects on time, integrating buses and rail properly, maintaining infrastructure, and making stations genuinely easy to access. When reliability, safety and connectivity are felt on the ground, public transport stops being “a plan” and becomes a real alternative to driving.

Public transport isn’t just about getting people from one place to another — it shapes how we live, work and feel everyday. Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel shows what happens when transport is designed around people: travel becomes simpler and more efficient. Malaysia is moving in a similar direction, but the key priority now is ensuring projects are completed well, delivered on time and actually work for commuters. If Malaysia continues to focus on integration and accessibility, public transport can realistically become a first choice — reducing congestion, supporting growth and improving everyday life.

References

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