Train to Penang
If you want to take a train to Penang Island you will have to take either a KTM Malaysian Railways long-distance ETS or Northern Commuter (Komuter Utara) to Butterworth Railway Station on the mainland, then take the 15 minutes ferry boat over to Georgetown, Pulau Pinang.
ETS to Penang
An ETS train to PenangTaking an ETS train to Pulau Pinang is the quickest and safest way to travel overland with ETS services starting as far south as Gemas (the line between here and JB Sentral is currently being upgraded).
Train from Kuala Lumpur to Penang
Is there a direct train from KL to Penang?
There are a growing number of ETS trains on the KL Sentral to Butterworth Penang Sentral route with the journey taking just over 4 hours on one of the limited-stop Platinum services which are the best to take as they arrive in plenty of time to catch the ferry to Georgetown.
To see the latest KTM train schedule from KL and all stations south of Penang, click on the timetable link below:
How much does the train from KL to Penang cost?
Train ticket prices from KL to Penang start at 59 MYR for an ETS Gold train to 79 MYR for an ETS Platinum train but prices vary due to KTM's Flexi Fare pricing (some services now include Business Class that costs around double the normal fare).
To see a price list for all ETS trains to Penang Sentral Butterworth, click on the picture link below:
Train to Penang from Johor Bahru and Singapore
How to get from JB Sentral to Penang by train?
As the ETS railway tracks are currently under construction between Gemas and Johor Bahru, you will first have to take a KTM Shuttle train from JB Sentral to Gemas, then connect to an ETS train from Gemas to Butterworth.
If you want to travel from Singapore to Penang by train, you will first have to take a 5-minute Shuttle train from Woodlands train checkpoint to JB Sentral then continue on to Butterworth as per above from JB.
Carriage on a long-distance ETS trainKTM Komuter to Penang
A KTM Komuter Utara trainWhere can you take the KTM Komuter train to Penang from?
These cheap northern commuter trains (KTM Komuter Utara) have two different routes in this part of Malaysia with Bukit Mertajam as the main interchange station.
1) The Padang Besar to Butterworth Route.
2) The Padang Rangas to Butterworth / Bukit Mertajam Route.
The KTM Komuter route from Padang Besar stops at the following stations:
Padang Besar, Bukit Ketri, Arau, Kodiang, Anak Bukit, Alor Setar, Kobah, Gurun, Sungai Petani, Tasek Gelugor, Bukit Mertajam, Bukit Tengah and Butterworth.
The KTM Komuter route from Padang Rengas stops at the following stations:
Padang Rengas, Taiping, Kamunting, Bagan Serai, Parit Buntar, Nibong Tebal, Simpang Ampat, Bukit Mertajam, Bukit Tengah and Butterworth.
On this route, some trains terminate at Bukit Mertajam so you have to change Komuter trains there and connect to one of the trains travelling from Padang Besar.
Carriage on a KTM Komuter trainButterworth KTM Railway Station
All trains for Penang Island will arrive at Butterworth Railway Station on the mainland which is the nearest train station for the Penang ferry over to Georgetown.
For information of the railway station in Butterworth, click on the picture link below:
For information on the Butterworth to Penang ferry click on the picture link below:
Related pages:
How to get from KL to Penang Island >
How to get from Ipoh, Perak to Penang Island >
How to get from Penang to Langkawi Island >
