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George Town Jetty and Penang Sentral

Butterworth to Taiping by Railway, Bus and Car

Penang Sentral in Butterworth is a transportation hub in Penang area including Penang Island George Town and the Mainland Penunsula areas. Is an integrated transportation hub for KTM ETS railway station, Express Bus station and Jetty in one location. Travelers can choose among Express Bus, trains and proceed to Taiping station as your destination. It is only one hour journey by train or 1.5 hours by car or express bus from Penang Sentral to Taiping, using NSE, North-south Expressway [E1].

NSE is also part of AH2 (Asian Highway route 2) of Asian Highway Network.  Is only 140 km from Bukit Kayu Hitam (Sadao in Thailand) Border checkpoint.

Butterworth Bus Terminal

Butterworth Bus Terminal is also known as Penang Sentral

Bus Terminal & Jetty in George Town, Penang

Jetty Bus Terminal in George Town, Penang

Bus Terminal Jetty, George Town

Jetty, KTM/ETS and Penang Sentral Butterworth

Butterworth KTM/ETS station & Jetty

Butterworth Station, Jetty and Penang Sentral

KTM / ETS Train Timetable (Schedule) Butterworth to Taiping 

There are 16 trips of trains depart from Butterworth Railway Station to Taiping Railway Station everyday. Including 6 trips of ETS bound for KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur and Commuter Train services bound for Ipoh on daily basis.
The journey takes 51 minutes ~ 1 hours 4 minutes. 

KTMB ETS & Commuter Trains Timetable

Penang International Airport to Taiping by Car

Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, generally known as the Second Bridge or New Bridge.

The New Bridge is an excellent and often more convenient choice when driving from the airport to Taiping. It is faster because it avoids the potential traffic congestion around Butterworth and the entrance to the first bridge.

Step-by-Step Driving Directions via the Second Bridge

Estimated Time: 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes (shorter in distance and quicker than the old bridge route).

  1. Start at Penang International Airport (PEN):

    • After exiting the airport, follow signs for the Second Bridge or Batu Maung. You will be on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah heading southeast.

  2. Enter the Second Bridge Expressway:

    • You will connect to the Lebuhraya Batu Maung and then Exit 2802, directly onto the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge E28. The approach is very straightforward.

  3. Cross the Second Bridge:

    • Enjoy the scenic drive over the bridge. You will pay a toll when you exit the bridge on the mainland side (RM 7.00 for a normal car with Touch ‘n Go).

  4. Merge onto the North-South Expressway (NSE/PLUS):

    • Immediately after the toll plaza, the road merges seamlessly with the North-South Expressway South E1 (Selatan). E1 is also part of AH2 (Asian Highway route 2)

    • Simply follow the signs for Ipoh / Kuala Lumpur. You are now on the correct highway, having skipped all the merges required from the first bridge.

  5. Drive South on the NSE:

    • This is the main leg of your journey. Stay on the highway. You will pass through southern Kedah and enter Perak.

  6. Exit at Taiping (Exit 148):

    • As before, watch for the clearly marked Exit 148 for Taiping. Pay the toll when you exit.

  7. From the Exit to Taiping Town:

    • Follow the road straight into Taiping, Taiping Lake Gardens, Taiping Zoo and many other landmarks in the heritage city welcome your arrival.

Penang International Airport to Taiping

Penang International Airport (Penang Island) to Taiping by Car

Pan-Asia Railway Network

It is also known as Kunming – Singapore Railway, when completed that would connect Kunming – Singapore via Vientiane, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and also Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Mandalay and Yangon. It is part of Trans Asian Railway Network – TAR, a project of UNESCAP – United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Pan-Asian Railway Network

Kunming – Singapore Rail Link running through Taiping & Ipoh

Pan-Asian Railway Network

AH2 – Asian Highway route number 2

AH2 – Asian Highway 2, is one of the routes in Asian Highway Network which starts from Denpasar in Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, Singapore, continuous to Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Taiping and Bukit Kayu Hitam via NSE. Then, to Hatyai, Chumphon via Route 4, Bangkok, Tak, Mei Sai in Chiang Rai, to Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and ends in Khosravi, Iran. 13,107 km total in length.