Bangkok to Butterworth train service to be revived
2 min readBangkok to Butterworth train service to be revived
Awesome news everyone! Thailand and Malaysia plan to revive the direct train service between Bangkok and Butterworth, and extend a Malaysian excursion train now running to Hat Yai to include Surat Thani (gateway to Koh Samui).
Recently I joined the Sawasdee train trip from Kuala Lumpur to Hatyai and I posted on my social media. I received many enquiries about this train service. With the high interest of train travel, it is definitely good news to hear that Bangkok to Butterworth train service to be revived.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and KTMB, which operates trains in Malaysia, have agreed in principle on a test run of a service between Bangkok and Butterworth.
SRT deputy governor Awirut Thongnet said on Tuesday there would be a joint study into the proposal. It was intended the transnational service would operate initially for six months.
The SRT cancelled its daily express service between Bangkok and Butterworth in 2016, instead operating only to Padang Besar on the border with Malaysia. Passengers must switch to a Malaysian train at Padang Besar to continue to Butterworth and elsewhere in Malaysia.
Padang Besar station is on the border in Sadao district of Songkhla province. The Malaysian town opposite has the same name. The two countries share the station.
Butterworth is a coastal town in northern Malaysia’s Penang state, and the gateway to popular Penang island.
The two railway agencies also agreed to promote tourism by extending the route of the Malaysian holiday excursion train My Sawasdee, which currenly terminates at Hat Yai. It will be continued to Surat Thani at a date to be discussed later.
My Sawadee operates only on holidays and takes Malaysians from Kuala Lumpur and stops in between to Hat Yai, which is very popular with Malaysian visitors.
Surat Thani is home to many popular resort islands.
Agreement in principle for the new services was reached at a meeting of the two agencies in Kota Kinabalu, in Malaysia’s Sabah state, and announced on Tuesday.
We will update again if any future news about this direct train service from Bangkok to Butterworth Malaysia.
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