Jun 22, 20224 min read

ETS Intercity Train from KL to Butterworth

My friend Esther, who is curious about how ETS intercity trains work, highly requested this piece. Hence, I will input my tips on booking the right seating spot and surviving the 4 hours’ long journey (from KL Sentral to Butterworth).

Online Booking

The best timing to book your train ticket is two weeks prior to your planned departure date.

You can make your booking arrangement via the KTMB official website or mobile app. Before that, you need to create an account with your birth name and personal details. Click on the KITS Ticketing button to sign up for a free account. There is a section to verify your Malaysian status, which I found completely pointless.

For interstate travel, go to the ETS/Intercity section to select your departure/arrival date and destinations. Once selected, the webpage will direct you to the train schedule, where you select your desired departure time and seats. The best departure time would be somewhere around 9am to 3pm, so you can grab something to eat upon arrival. Afterwards, confirm your details before payment via credit/debit card or TouchnGo e-wallet.

Viola! Your ticket is available on your account. You can choose to save it as a PDF file on your device.

For me, the best seating option will be Coach C, Seat 1A/B or 2C/D. You can get food or refreshments from the bar and it is easier to reach the toilet. I always book seat 1A where I can easily spot my luggage, and extra leg room for the long trip.

baggage area — Baggage area right beside my seat

Before Boarding (at KL Sentral)

The ETS Train was my first choice of transportation whenever I travelled back to home during the festive season or semester break. The campus bus will drop me at the Sungai Jernih MRT station where I would hop on the rail to the Muzium Negara station. Carrying my luggage and bags, I went up the escalators until it brought me to the ETS station.

If you depart from KL Sentral station, it is accessible via LRT, MRT, KTM, monorail, or the expensive KLIA Transit. NU Sentral is the interlinked mall where I takeaway food and buy snacks before boarding the train.

If you wish to venture around the mall, you can store your belongings in their locker. It costs RM15 for small size, and RM20 for medium-sized (all day). You might think the price might not be worth it for an hour’s venture, then you have to carry your luggage and bags around.

Wait at Level 2, where you will find rows of seats available (go up to the escalator between 7-E and McD if you are stuck at Level 1). I highly recommend arriving at the waiting area at least 30 minutes before your departure time so you would not get anxious like a lost chicken.

By the time you may board the train, please get your ticket ready. You need to scan the QR code in order to pass the gates. It is a new feature they have installed recently. Before that, we just displayed the ticket to the stationmaster. Following the line, you will reach the platform where the train rests before the interstate marathon.

Once you have boarded your train, leave your luggage at the storage rack before settling down. If you did not get a seat I have recommended earlier, you have the luxury to place your belongings in the overhead compartment. The middle section of the coach is a face-to-face seating where you share a table with other passengers (but works best if you travel in a group of four).

Butterworth ETS Station — Ticket Gate @ Butterworth Station

The Journey

The 4 hours train ride is very much the same experience, except less car sickness and convenient toilet breaks. Bring your device or book and you can survive. If you have a company or two, you can rest your head on their shoulder without feeling awkward.

The flip-up table is wide enough to fit a KFC box and one drink. Bottled drinks can carry you throughout the journey better than crafted milk tea or coffee, since there is no drink holder like cinemas or buses. A three-pin socket is available underneath your seat, but you have to share with your seatmate. Wi-Fi is available on-board, but the reception can be terrible when the train is out of the city area.

As for toilets, there are three in total. Coach C’s toilet is just a few steps away from the minibar. The new train has ditched the metal handle and replaced it with a button to open/close the sliding door. Just remember to lock before you do your private business.

The train passes by the skyscrapers and highways, then concealed itself behind the overgrown bushes and oil palm plantations. You may be invited to glimpse into the suburban houses and schools, or peaceful kampung scenes without the smoke and dust. If you find the mismatching choir of the mumbling TV advertisements, pre-recorded announcements, and grumbling old railway track overstimulating, take out your ear jack and listen to your playlist.

Arrival (Butterworth Station)

Butterworth is the last station where everyone needs to get their asses out of their seats. Once you spot the large shipping containers, it is time to check your belongings and clear out the trash. When the train stopped, follow everyone out to the platform.

Unlike KL Sentral, this simplified station does not have an escalator upwards. The two options to leave the platform are using either the lift or stairs. During my first train trip home, I made the mistake of climbing up the stairs while carrying my large luggage. I stopped in between to regain my stamina before finally reaching the top. Since then, I patiently waited for the lift even though it would take a while and cramp with the other passengers.

Again, you need to scan your ticket at the gate. Then, turn right where you will find a lift and a flight of stairs down to the main entrance where you will have to wait for your ride. Alternatively, visit Penang Sentral via a narrow and shady walkway on the left. It is the same direction if you wish to head to the ferry terminal or bus station.

I have yet to visit Penang Sentral. There will be another writeup for this premise that connects three public transport facilities.