Parimala

In the middle decades of the 20th century, the rhythm of a railwayman’s life was set not just by the timetables of the Federated Malay States Railways (later Malayan Railways), but also by the call to move from one station town to another. For one young family, these transfers became the backdrop to their childhood memories, a journey through wartime shortages, post-war rebuilding, and the slow, measured modernisation of a country on the cusp of independence.

The father’s work meant that the family lived in towns where the railway tracks were never far away, where whistles and the low rumble of locomotives became part of the soundtrack of daily life. Each move brought new faces, new surroundings, and often a new dialect or accent to pick up.

Gemas – early 1940s, wartime junction

The journey began in Gemas, the strategic heart of Malaya’s railway system. Here, the West Coast Main Line met the East Coast Line — a place of constant movement, where trains could head north to Penang or east toward the jungles of Pahang and Kelantan.

During the early 1940s, the world beyond the station was marked by wartime uncertainty. Supplies were scarce, troop trains ran alongside goods wagons, and news often travelled down the line before it reached the newspapers. For the family, Gemas was both a home and a frontline of logistics. Despite the austerity, they managed — somehow, there was always food on the table.

Bangsar – mid-1940s, wartime in the city

From Gemas, the father was posted to Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur. Here, the station was in the capital’s heart. This was still wartime, with the Japanese occupation reshaping daily life. Bangsar’s proximity to the central yards meant the children saw more engines in a week than most children in a lifetime.

In this period, another family milestone arrived — the birth of the third child. Her arrival in such difficult times only deepened the family’s sense that their fortunes, however modest, were being quietly protected.

Kuala Krai – early 1950s, river and rail

By the early 1950s, peace had returned, but the scars of war were still visible. The father’s next posting took them far from the west coast to Kuala Krai in Kelantan. This small town, connected by the East Coast Line, was a vital agricultural hub where trains carried rice, livestock, and jungle produce.

Although their quarters were in Kuala Krai, the family’s schooling required a daily connection to Kota Bharu. These two years were defined by routine — long train rides, humid afternoons, and the camaraderie of station life in a rural town. It was here that the sixth and last sibling was born, adding another chapter to the family’s growing story.

One vivid memory from this time was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Even in this quiet eastern outpost, the celebrations were felt — a reminder of Malaya’s place in the Commonwealth and of how global events could ripple into small towns along the tracks.

Ipoh – mid to late 1950s, tin town prosperity

In the mid-1950s, the family moved to Ipoh, capital of Perak and one of Malaya’s most vibrant urban centres. Here, the air was thick with the scent of rubber and the dust of tin mines. Ipoh’s station was a grand white-domed landmark, a symbol of the city’s prosperity.

The four years in Ipoh brought relative stability. Schools were larger, markets more varied, and modern amenities more within reach. For the children, it was a place of friendships that lasted long after they moved on. For the father, it was a busy posting in a town where freight yards bustled day and night.

Travers Road, Kuala Lumpur – early 1960s, returning to the capital

The early 1960s brought another return to Kuala Lumpur, this time to the railway quarters along Travers Road. The family had lived in KL before. 

KL in the 1960s was a city on the move. Independence had been declared just a few years earlier, and optimism pulsed through the streets. For the family, Travers Road meant proximity to schools, shops, and the cultural heart of the capital.

Seremban – Mid-1960s, settling after retirement

The final chapter in this railway journey unfolded in Seremban, capital of Negeri Sembilan. Seremban had always been a significant rail hub, linking the interior to the coast via the Port Dickson branch line. Its busy market, administrative offices, and constant train traffic made it a fitting place for the family to finally settle. For the children, now older, this was less a new adventure and more a place to put down roots.

Life between stations

Each move shaped the family’s resilience. Wartime Gemas and Bangsar taught resourcefulness. Kuala Krai showed them the beauty and challenge of rural life. Ipoh exposed them to urban prosperity, while Kuala Lumpur’s Travers Road years brought them close to the pulse of a changing nation. Seremban, in turn, offered stability.

But the thread running through all of these was the railway itself — the unbroken steel link between towns, the ever-present hum of engines, and the sense that life was both transient and connected.

For the children, growing up along the line meant living in a country not as a single place but as a series of vivid snapshots: the clang of the signal bell in Gemas, the smell of wet timber in Kuala Krai, the glow of Ipoh’s market lights, the noise of KL’s busy platforms.

For their parents, it was a life of service — ensuring that goods, people, and supplies moved safely and efficiently, no matter the challenges of war, weather, or the shifting tides of history.