Taiping to Penang
How to Travel by Bus, KTM Train, Car

If you want to travel from Taiping to Penang Island (Georgetown), the best way to get there is by taking an ETS or KTM Komuter (commuter) Train to Butterworth, then hop on the ferry to Georgetown. You can also go by infrequent bus, or you can drive if you have your own transport.

How far is it to Penang Island from Taiping?

The distance from Taiping to Penang Island - Georgetown (jarak Taiping ke Pulau Pinang) is around 100 km by road.

KTM Train from Taiping to Butterworth Penang Sentral

Keretapi KTM dari Taiping ke Butterworth Penang Sentral

Taking the train to Penang from Taiping is our number one choice as the train station in Taiping is close to the town centre (unlike the bus station) and it is the quickest way to travel.

You also have a choice of train services from Taiping to Butterworth to fit your budget.

A direct, fast but comparatively expensive Electric Train Service (ETS).

Or a much cheaper Komuter Utara (northern commuter) Train with some direct services and some that you have to change trains at Bukit Mertajam KTM station, just a couple of stops away from Butterworth.

ETS Train from Taiping to Butterworth

Kereta ETS dari Taiping ke Butterworth

The quickest way to travel by train from Taiping to Penang is on one of the fast ETS services.

These trains are either Gold Services or Platinum Services and take around 55 minutes to get to Butterworth (the last stop on the line).

To see the latest ETS train timetable from Taiping click on the link below:

Taiping to Butterworth Penang ETS schedule >

The price of ETS Train tickets from Taiping to Butterworth is as follows:

ETS Gold Trains: Adult 21 RM - Child 15 RM

Platinum ETS Trains: Adult 26 RM - Child 17 RM

Seats on an ETS train from Taiping to Penang Sentral Butterworth

KTM Commuter Train from Taiping to Butterworth

Keretapi Komuter KTM dari Taiping ke Butterworth

If you want the cheapest way to travel to Penang Island from Taiping, the KTM Komuter (commuter) train services are the way to travel.

Tickets on the commuter services are much cheaper than the ETS services and cost only 7.50 RM (cash price).

Taking a KTM Komuter train to Butterworth from Taiping is now a lot more easier as from March 2020 as KTM have increased the number of direct commuter services to Butterworth (before most services on the Padang Rengas - Bukit Mertajam Line terminated at BM and you had to change there for trains to Butterworth).

If you take one of the direct commuter trains from Taiping to Butterworth, the duration of the journey is just over an hour.

If you take one of the good connecting trains, it takes one hour and 10 minutes.

To see the latest full timetable for KTM Komuter train on the Taiping to Bukit Mertajam / Butterworth route click on the link below:

Taiping to Butterworth Penang KTM Komuter timetable >

Seats on a commuter train from Taiping to Penang Sentral Butterworth

Once you arrive in Butterworth Railway Station, it's a short walk to the ferry terminal (through the Penang Sentral Terminal building) where you can take a boat over to Georgetown on Penang Island.

For more ferry information, schedules and fares click on the link below:

The ferry from Butterworth to Georgetown, Penang Island >

Bus from Taiping to Penang Sentral (Butterworth)

Bas dari Taiping ke Penang Sentral (Butterworth)

Travel by bus from Taiping is not that convenient as the nearest long-distance bus station to the town are located either at Kamunting (6 km away) or Simpang (7 km away).

To get to the bus station you will have to take a local RapidKamuting bus costing RM 1.00.

Starmart Express has a very infrequent bus from these bus stations, costing around 13 RM to Butterworth (Penang Sentral).

The duration of the bus journey from Taiping to Penang Sentral is approximately one and a half hours.

So what is the best way to get from Taiping to Penang using public transport?

Our recommendation is to take the KTM Komuter Train.

It is easily the cheapest way to travel.

It is only slightly slower than the much more expensive ETS Train.

There is no need to book in advance (with all Komuter trains in Malaysia you buy the tickets on the day of travel, then hop on the next northbound train).

The only negative is - You may not get a seat!

KTM Komuter train seats are on a first-come, first-served basis.

However, if you don't travel during the morning rush hours when people are travelling to Penang for work, you should not have to stand for long.

Driving from Taiping to Georgetown Penang

If you want to travel by car from Taiping to Penang, it is an easy 90 minutes drive along the North-South Expressway (E1), then you can take either of the Penang bridges over to the island (or even the ferry which takes cars right into the heart of the old part of Georgetown).