Getting Around Butterworth
Butterworth is the principal town of Seberang Perai in the state of Penang, Malaysia, and it sits on the mainland side of the channel across from George Town. For a visitor, the town works best as a transport hub: the railway station, the bus terminal and the ferry terminal are all clustered together, which makes moving between modes unusually easy.
Arriving by Train
Butterworth railway station is a major rail terminal for Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Malayan Railways), and it stands next to the bus and ferry terminals, just south of the town centre. Two broad directions of travel are served from here.
- Southbound: ETS trains head to Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Seats on these trains are often sold out, so book in advance — either at the KTMB office in the George Town ferry terminal, online at the KTMB website, or through third-party booking sites such as BusOnlineTicket.com or Easybook.com.
- Northbound: Komuter trains run to Padang Besar on the border with Thailand. From Padang Besar, connecting trains toward Hat Yai and Bangkok are operated by the State Railways of Thailand, and there are also frequent local buses from the Thai side of the border to Hat Yai.
- Southbound local: Komuter trains also run south toward Taiping, where it is possible to connect to more ETS trains heading to Kuala Lumpur and further south to Gemas.
If you are crossing into Thailand, note that Thai time is one hour behind Malaysian time, so check departure times carefully — they may be listed in either Thai or Malaysian time. Border formalities are handled inside the Padang Besar station, but there is no ATM or official currency exchange there, so it is advisable to exchange some Thai baht before you head up.
Buses and Public Transport
Penang Sentral bus station is just a few metres from the train station, tucked under the highway overpass. Any train station representative can point you in the direction of the bus stop. Buses from here go to many destinations throughout the country.
- To and from Kuala Lumpur: services run almost hourly, and most coaches have air-conditioning and other comforts. The buses generally do not have restrooms, but they make a number of breaks at rest stops with restrooms, food and drinks available. Much of the journey is very scenic.
- To Kuala Perlis: services run a few times per day.
One caution: beware of touts at the bus station who look friendly and helpful. Rather than selling tickets, they sell overpriced vouchers that you later exchange for a ticket.
Within the town and across the state, Rapid Penang is the bus service that covers most of the city as well as the entire Penang state.
Ferry Across to George Town
The Penang ferry departs regularly from Butterworth Ferry Terminal for George Town. The ferry terminal is connected to the railway station and bus terminal by covered walkways, and directions from the train station to the ferry terminal (terminal feri) are well signposted. The old car ferries have been decommissioned; the new ferries carry only pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles. Travellers may want to use toilets at their hotels or at restaurants, as the ferry toilets are infamous for their overuse and offensive odours.
By Road
The city is accessible by the Butterworth Outer Ring Road and the Butterworth–Kulim Expressway, the latter being part of the North–South Expressway.
Getting Around Town
For a visitor, the practical picture is that Butterworth's key transport nodes — rail, bus and ferry — are grouped together and linked by covered walkways, so you can move between long-distance trains, interstate buses and the crossing to George Town without needing a taxi in between. For local journeys, Rapid Penang buses are the main public transport option covering the city and the wider state.