Express rail service between Bangkok and the Malaysian city of Butterworth—the land connection for Penang—will return in July after a nine-year absence, the two countries have agreed.
Since 2016, the express trains from Bangkok have terminated near Padang Besar on the border, forcing travelers to reach Padang Besar by shuttle and then change trains to a Malaysian ETS express train, making air travel often a better alternative.
With Malaysia’s rail system running its ETS express service from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth, the reconnection will effectively provide rail service between the two capitals. The countries have also agreed to work on improving other cross-border services.
