The railway line from Kuala Lumpur to Klang was one of the first lines in the country. It was built in 1886 and ran for 32km from Kuala Lumpur to Bukit Kuda, located close to what would become a booming mining town that would later go down in history due to a certain civil war.

In 1890, the Connaught bridge over the Klang river was opened and brought the railway to Klang town through Bukit Badak. The Klang Valley line was extended from Klang to Port Swettenham on Jan 1, 1899.

This is what the Federated Malay States Railways Pamphlet of Information for Travellers, the 68-page document detailing hotspots and highlights for travellers around Malaya, had to say about Klang in 1914 – all of three sentences:

“Residence of His Highness the Sultan of Selangor and centre of a famous planting district.

“Port Swettenham is its port. North and south of it lie Kuala Selangor and Kuala Langat, also great planting districts.”

Here are some photos of Port Swettenham and the railway station in those early days, as featured in the pamphlet:

Compare and contrast with the same location circa 100 years later:

This article first appeared on Great Malaysian Railway Journeys.