ETS Train Malaysia KTMB (KTM Berhad)
Travel by train is now a whole lot faster with the introduction of the KTMB high-speed ETS Train in Malaysia (keretapi laju ETS) (Electric Train Services) that is now operating the routes in the Peninsular.
Capable of speeds of up to 160 km/h (although they only travel up to 140 km/h in service), these new train services have cut travel time in half compared to the older diesel Intercity Trains that KTM used to operate.
The ETS services from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh have been running for a few years now, but from July 2015, new ETS routes started to be opened up, and now many more services are available from the border with Thailand in the north to JB Sentral in the south.
To see the latest ETS schedules for the new routes, see our ETS Timetable pages:
Northbound Malaysia Train Schedule
(Jadual Kereta api Malaysia ke Utara)
Southbound Malaysia Train Schedule
(Jadual Kereta api Malaysia ke Selatan)
Seats on an ETS train in MalaysiaIf you want to see the Malaysian train timetables on the official KTM website click here >
ETS Gold, Platinum, or Express?
There are three types of ETS train services:
ETS Gold Services are limited-stop trains and are the cheapest of the three options.
ETS Platinum Services have fewer stops, calling at only the main stations along the route, and are quicker than the Gold services, so they are a little bit more expensive.
ETS Express Services have even fewer stops and are now the fastest and most expensive trains to travel on.
One of the newer KTM Berhad ETS2 trainsETS Train Routes in Malaysia now Operating
ETS Services in Malaysia that you can travel on are (to see the timetables and fares, just click on a link):
The older routes:
ETS Gold train on the KL - Ipoh routeTravel from KL Sentral Station to Ipoh on one of the many ETS trains a day on this route.
You could also take the new limited-stop Gold, Platinum or Express Service trains from KL to Padang Besar or KL to Butterworth (see below).
New ETS Routes from 2015:
New ETS train from 2015Starting from September 2015, there is a new ETS service between KL Sentral and Butterworth.
For the latest timetables of these ETS services, please see:
ETS from Butterworth to KL Sentral >
ETS from KL Sentral to Butterworth >
Butterworth to Padang Besar (now replaced with regular and cheap KTM Komuter Trains)
Padang Besar to Butterworth (now replaced with regular KTM Komuter Trains)
Travel to the border with Thailand from Butterworth Penang.
Please Note: All ETS services to Padang Besar will no longer be taking the branch line to Bukit Mertajam or Butterworth and now travel direct from JB / Kuala Lumpur to the border.
There are now regular KTM Komuter (commuter) trains operating two routes between:
Butterworth and Padang Besar >
Butterworth / Bukit Mertajam and Ipoh in Perak >
So you can now travel all the way from Perlis to Perak by cheap commuter services (changing at Bukit Mertajam).
New Routes from July 2015:
Padang Besar to Kuala Lumpur >
Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar >
This new ETS Gold and Platinum service speeds its way up to the Thai-Malaysian border railway station of Padang Besar, stopping at only the main stations en route.
See our KL Sentral to Padang Besar page here for times and fares to the Thai border >
You can use this train to get to Ipoh or Langkawi Island (via Alor Setar or Arau) and many more places.
New Routes from December 2025:
In December 2025, the last section of electrified track was completed, and new ETS services are now operating to JB Sentral Railway Station in the state of Johor (5 minutes by Shuttle Train to Woodlands in Singapore).
To see the latest full timetables for all the new ETS Services, please see:
ETS Train Malaysia Ticket Prices
Ticket prices for the new ETS services are relatively low but more expensive than most bus fares.
To check fares:
Please see the following pages on our site:
KL Sentral / Kuala Lumpur ETS Fares >
Butterworth Penang ETS Fares >
ETS Ticket Booking
Tickets for trains in Malaysia can and should be purchased in advance.
Booking periods may vary throughout the year due to timetable changes, so you will have to check to see up until what date tickets are on sale for (usually a few months ahead).
You can buy your tickets from any mainline KTMB Railway Station, or you can book online (which saves you the time and expense of travelling to the station).
Photo of a one of the older high-speed ETS Train MalaysiaRelated Pages: