When we first heard that Malaysian Railways (KTMB) was opening a Klang-Ipoh Komuter service in May 2026, even though they were only offered between Friday and Sunday, the idea of lunch in Ipoh, then onward to Penang with only the one change of train would be perfect. The normal Komuter service terminates at Tanjong Malim, a good hour from Ipoh, so this service would cover the missing link Tanjong Malim – Ipoh. Komuter Utara to Butterworth, with a ferry ride across to the island would complete our journey.
Klang to Ipoh
Unfortunately, the full dates for the Klang-Ipoh service were not available and it wasn’t clear that this was a time limited service. By the time we realised this, we decided a trip to Penang would be good anyway and looked for other options. The service has returned at the time of writing, but as before, there’s no information about the length of the programme. The dates are announced in their Facebook pages, but only a few days beforehand. They are not on their posters or website. Here’s the latest we could find. They don’t seem to be available for 9-11th October. This makes planning such a trip difficult. So we had to find another way. This is what we came up with.
Penang by KTM Komuter – Plan B
Obviously, it would be easiest to get on the train in Klang and off in Ipoh (with a 20 min toilet break in Slim River), but as we already had return tickets from our end destination, we had to find an alternative to Ipoh. This we managed to do and the cost is slightly less than the RM45 trip all the way by Komuter.
Buying your ticket
For Electric Train Services/Intercity services, or special services, tickets can be purchased via the KTMB Mobile app, the KITS Style app, the KTMB website (online.ktmb.com.my), or at KTMB ticket kiosks. For commuter services (In this case Klang Valley Komuter services and Komuter Utara), purchase tickets at the kiosk, or use a TouchNGo card or KTMB concession card. You can also purchase tickets on their app (called Kits, for iPhone and Android) and get a QR code to scan at entry, or use a Monthly Pass (for Malaysian citizens).
Klang to Tanjung Malim
Our new routing was Klang – Tanjong Malim by Komuter, leaving at 6.44am, arriving at 9.33am. The Komuter tickets can also be purchased online on the day of travel for RM14.10, or are ‘pay as you go’, using either a paper ticket from the counter or kiosk or by using Touch N Go cards (RM11.90).
The Tanjung Malim Service starts at PELABUHAN KLANG, stopping at four stations before reaching KLANG. There are another four stops on the way to SUBANG JAYA, (where you can connect with the LRT Kelana Jaya line). The next station, Setia Jaya, connects with the BRT service, then it’s seven stops to KL SENTRAL, the main connecting transport hub and on to the historic KUALA LUMPUR Station. From there you have 14 stops until your destination, TANJUNG MALIM. The track on this section is newer and the stations after Kuang are further apart, so you can get some speed up.
Tanjung Malim to Ipoh
After a drink and snack at the station cafe, which was adequate but not memorable, we connected with the Kuala Lumpur/Ipoh ETS Gold – 9044 service at 10.14am, arriving in Ipoh at 11.29am.
We pre-booked tickets for RM 32.00 online and paid a little extra (RM2) to have forward facing seats with a shared table in Coach E /Seats 14A/B. The basic tickets were RM 29, with a convenience fee of RM1. So the total came up a little less than the all-the-way Komuter, except we now had an on-board toilet (the special train makes a 20 minute toilet stop at Slim River), in-seat power and food on board (Coach C) for part of the journey. We booked our ETS tickets online 3 weeks out, as pricing is dynamic and may get more expensive as the date gets closer.
** Please note: Both Tanjung Malim (common usage) and Tanjong Malim (official spelling) are used on the KTM website and tickets.
The ride: This is the faster ETS service, which uses one of the first generation ETS93 trains. These trains don’t have rotatable seats, so half the seats in each carriage face forwards, the other half backwards. You can see this when you book online and choose accordingly.
While we appreciated the in seat power socket (one for two seats) it’s placed in between your seats and, especially with a table, is not easy to access. Otherwise the ride was smooth and we appreciated the on-board toilets, which were clean, but take some paper, in case they’ve run out.
Ipoh to Butterworth
We arrived in Ipoh just before 11.30am, with a train departing Ipoh for Butterworth at 12.55, giving us plenty of time for lunch close by. But as Ipoh is well known for its chicken rice, we preferred to walk to town and eat, then catch a later train to Butterworth. It was a worthwhile exercise and we enjoyed our lunch. We left our bags in a locker at the southern end of the station (RM10, or RM5 for a small locker, per day, which ends when you open it.
We arrived back from lunch with plenty of time to retrieve our bags and join the queue at the southern door to the platform. Different doors are used for different services and you must queue before they allow entry about 5 minutes or so before departure.
Our onward trip to Butterworth by Komuter Utara left on time at 2.55 pm, arriving in Butterworth at 5.51pm. Adult fare is RM12.80, cashless, buying a ticket will cost you RM14.51.
The train used on this route is one of their KTM Class 83 (EMU26) train sets, which are allocated to the Northern route Ipoh-Butterworth-Padang Besar. There are 12 regularly timetabled return services per day.
It was a Saturday afternoon and the train filled up quite quickly. It is a commuter train, so there’s plenty of standing room. In the coach we were in, all the seating was along the sides, with single seats, rather than the long bench in our earlier commute. They were comfortable and the ride was smooth. There are nine stations between IPOH and BUKIT MERTAJAM, a major transfer hub to the ETS and Komuter Utara to Padang Besar. After one more quick stop at Bukit Tengah, we pulled in to BUTTERWORTH right on time.
Apparently these trains are the second generation EMU trains, they have full panel windows with toughened glass. There were no shattered windows, certainly, unlike the earlier model we rode to Tanjong Malim. The train also seemed to be quieter and was faster, possibly because many of the stations were quite far apart. KTMB describes the amenities on the older train sets on the KTMB Onboard Facilities page.
Next time we try this trip, we’ll have lunch at the kopitiam style station cafe, which looked inviting. That would allow us to take the earlier train and save 2 hours.
Catching the Ferry
After you tap out in Butterworth, follow the signs to Penang Sentral to reach the Ferry. You’ll pass the bus waiting hall as you enter the building and continue to follow the signs (hanging from the ceiling) to reach the ferry. There aren’t a lot of food options in Penang Sentral, mostly snack food and a couple of restaurants. The trip through Penang Sentral and the ferry crossing will be covered in a future story/video.
At the ferry, you can tap on using TouchNGo, credit or debit cards, the cost per adult is RM2 each way.
Ferries are scheduled half hourly and 20 minutes during peak hours. The ride takes about 15 minutes to the island, and it is a short signposted walk to the nearby bus hub. The ferries only carry motorcycles and foot passengers, who have an air-conditioned cabin. There are also seats outside at the front and back.
Buses are regular, inexpensive, clean and safe. You will need exact change for the fare. (e.g RM1.40 to Pulau Tikus)
Conclusions
We will do this trip again, with some modifications as mentioned above. It’s not difficult and certainly is less expensive than flying or driving and more comfortable than travelling by bus. But you do need to have the time, as the journey is definitely longer. But during festivals, this might not be the case, as timing is more reliable and not subject to the traffic jams notorious during these periods.
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