The 1,151-kilometre line is busier than the East Coast railway line because the West Coast railway line handles a variety of passenger train services such as the KTM ETS services, the KTM Intercity services, the International Express, the KTM Komuter in the Klang Valley and Greater Penang areas, and freight trains.

The line began with the construction of branches linking coastal ports with inland tin mining areas before they were gradually linked up by the main truck line running through the interior of the West Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia.

The West Coast railway line is served by a variety of train services:[2][3][4] After many years of announcements about the intention to upgrade the final stretch of single track of the West Coast Line, the Government began the public display exercise for the Gemas–Johor Bahru electrification and double-tracking project on 27 October 2015.

[6][7][8] The project was implemented by Keretapi Tanah Melayu began in 2016 and phase 1 is expected to be completed by 2021.

[9] The project entails the rehabilitation of 42 km of tracks between Rawang and Salak Selatan as well as Sentul and Simpang Batu.

This will focus on enhancing 16 stations along these routes and upgrade the existing signalling and electrification system.

The West Coast main trunk line stretches from Padang Besar on the Malaysia–Thailand border to the Woodlands Train Checkpoint in Singapore.