How to travel from Butterworth to Johor Bahru by train

For many years, railway connections between Butterworth (Penang) and Johor Bahru were fractured and time-consuming, turning the journey into a mission that few travellers enjoyed. However, significant improvements to the West Coast Line have reduced journey times, connecting these two powerhouse regions by a number of convenient services including, for the first time, a direct train.

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Route map and details

Butterworth is the closest station to Penang Island, accessible by a cheap and reliable ferry (RM2, 20 minutes).

Malaysia’s West Coast Line runs the entire length of the country, from the border with Thailand in the north, right down to the famous Causeway that links Malaysia to Singapore in the south.

Until recently, journeys to and from Johor Bahru required a change of trains in Gemas (200km north of JB) but, with the ETS (Electric Train Service) improvement works now complete, Johor Bahru is fully connected to the ETS network and trains run direct from here to Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth and Padang Besar at the Thai border.

For the Butterworth to JB route, this has introduced several faster services via KL Sentral, and one daily direct service that avoids a change of trains in Kuala Lumpur.

Timetables

There’s one direct service per day between Butterworth and JB Sentral, taking eight hours and twenty minutes:

Via KL Sentral, there are a couple other options if the direct train doesn’t work for you, including:

How to buy tickets

The easiest way to buy train tickets in Malaysia is online rather than going to the station. You do pay a very small commission but the ease and convenience makes it worthwhile in our opinion.

Baolau is the best site to use for buying train tickets, they have access to the official booking engine, so you can easily see availability, timetables and prices.

Payment can be made using international credit card and PDF confirmation tickets are sent to your email address within a few minutes. This is the actual ticket you need to board the train, so there’s no need to exchange it at the station before travel. You may prefer to print the pdf out, but it’s also fine to show it on your mobile phone to the conductors and station staff.

Butterworth to Johor Bahru train tickets

How much does it cost?

On the direct train from Butterworth to JB Sentral, there are two classes (Business and Standard), prices are:

If you buy separate tickets and change trains in Kuala Lumpur, the tickets are approximately the same price for Standard class (RM200), but Business Class works out slightly more expensive (RM330).

What to expect onboard

The Butterworth to JB Sentral direct service uses the latest ETS (Electric Train Service) train sets, which were designed in China and assembled in Malaysia. As these are the most recent additions to the KTMB (the Malaysian railway company) fleet, each carriage feels modern, safe and comfortable.

There are six carriages available onboard, with one business class carriage and five standard class. Business class seats are arranged 1 x 2 and offer more space than the standard class carriages, which are 2 x 2.

Many travellers automatically opt for business class, assuming it’ll be a significantly improved service compared to standard class but, in our experience, there’s very little to choose between them. While you do get a free meal and a wider seat, the whole experience feels less ‘premium’ than it should be, and the food is decent at best. You can check out a full review of ETS Business Class here.

In Standard Class each seat has a tray table, armrest, footrest, recline button and charging points (both a three-pin plug and USB slot). There’s plenty of legroom and space between the seats, so you can easily spread out and get comfortable (handy if you’re onboard for the entire eight hour journey to Johor Bahru).

Each standard carriage is essentially the same the others, the main difference are:

• Coach D has the two disabled spaces onboard and is also closest to the disabled toilet (which is reserved exclusively for disabled travellers).
• Coach C is closet to the Bistro Car and sees a slightly higher numbers of passengers walking back and forth to purchase food and drink.
• Coaches B and E include four seats set around a table, handy if you’re travelling as a group.

A few tips for a more comfortable Standard Class experience:

• Carriages are kept at a consistent 19C but it feels a lot colder at times. Remember to bring a light jumper, blanket or sarong to keep you warm during the trip.
• Smaller backpacks can be placed in the overhead racks. Larger suitcases should be stored in the luggage racks at the end of each carriage but competition for space can be fierce.
• We saw several suitcase left in the corridors between the carriages, confirming there isn’t always enough space in the luggage racks. As this is Malaysia, your suitcases will be safe in the corridor, but (as always) it’s best to pack light if possible and keep your bags close by.
• It’s usually quiet onboard when departing Butterworth, fairly busy at Ipoh and then full from KL Sentral onwards. A few passengers disembark at the junction town of Gemas (perhaps to connect with the Jungle Line), so it’s quieter again once you reach JB Sentral.
• In general, ETS trains run to schedule and delays are uncommon.
• You’ll need to scan your ticket QR code at Butterworth and again at the ticket gates at JB Sentral.
• Try to purchase a seat on the right-hand side of the train (e.g. A or B seat letters). As the train is predominantly travelling south throughout the journey, the sun is on the left and everyone on that side closes their blinds by 9.00am, so the view disappears.
• Check out the table below for suggestions on which seats to choose in Standard Class:

What are the toilets like?

No complaints here. Compared to many train toilets around Southeast Asia, these are kept in excellent condition with plenty of toilet paper and hand wash available right up until we reached Johor Bahru.

Each carriage has a sign to let you know when they’re occupied. There’s one toilet in Coach B and one in Coach E. Coach F’s toilet is reserved for disabled passengers and is specially adapted to their needs.

Catering options

One of the standout features of the ETS trains is the bistro carriage, which offers hot and cold food throughout the journey. The microwaveable meals might not appear too appetising when first served, but they’re tasty and excellent value (around RM12 for nasi lemak, fried noodles, etc). They also sell soft drinks, tea and coffee.

Payment is either by cash or e-wallets. There isn’t anywhere to sit in the bistro itself, so you’ll need to take your food and drinks back to your seat and consume it there.

Journey description

Departure gates open at 6.45am, around fifteen minutes before the train is due to leave. Coming down to the platform in the lift or staircase, you’ll be at the back of the train (Coach F), with business class in Coach A at the far end.

Exactly on time, the train sounds the horn and cruises out of Butterworth station, a final glimpse of Penang Island just visible through the cranes and containers of Penang’s large port area. The first 10km of the route runs along Butterworth’s branch line before joining the main West Coast Line at Bukit Mertajam. From here, it turns south and heads towards Ipoh, passing through the prettiest section of the entire route. In particular, keep an eye out for the lake crossing at Bukit Merah around 7.40am, home to the orangutans at the Bukit Merah Orangutan Foundation.

There are major stops at Taiping and Ipoh where the train fills up with passengers and the sun climbs in the morning sky. If you managed to book a seat on the right-hand side of the train, you’ll still be treated to countryside views, whereas those on the left will probably be faced with closed blinds and limited views.

Around an hour before Kuala Lumpur, the suburbs take over and the scenery becomes more industrial and residential. The skyline of the capital city is always impressive and it’s here you’ll see a significant switch of passengers, with many disembarking either at the grand old Kuala Lumpur station or the more modern and recently-built, KL Sentral. They’re replaced with another set of passengers heading south, and the train is still quite full.

The scenery for the first hour out of KL is fairly bland and it’s not until you’ve passed Seremban and entered the state of Johor that the views change from industrial back to countryside, with acres upon acres of palm oil plantations visible. The scale of Malaysia’s reliance on this crop is apparent for the next hour or so, before the city skyline of Johor Bahru appears, welcoming long-distance travellers into the modern station at JB Sentral.

Keen-eyed passengers might be able to spot the Causeway and immigration buildings in Singapore, just over the water and easily accessible from the station if you want to continue your journey (check out our guide for taking the train from Johor Bahru to Singapore). Otherwise, head into Johor Bahru and explore Malaysia’s most southern city.