Delays, closed walkway, accessibility barriers mar commute from island to KTM station on mainland
BY THE time the average traveller reaches Butterworth railway station from Penang island via the ferry, they are often already exhausted.
What should be a seamless transit is instead a gauntlet of long distances, steep stairs, and unreliable lifts – all negotiated under the relentless pressure of a ticking clock.
ALSO READ: Upgrades for Butterworth KTM station on the way
For the elderly, the uninitiated or those burdened with luggage, the simple act of leaving the island to catch a train has become an unnecessary ordeal that tests the patience of even the most seasoned commuter.
Poor connectivity and inconsistent service along the ferry–rail link have transformed a routine transfer into a primary source of anxiety and delay for commuters and tourists alike.
Those travelling between George Town and Butterworth on the catamaran service, intending to continue their journeys by train from Penang Sentral, are increasingly met with missed connections and substandard waiting conditions.
Beyond the arduous trek from the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal to the Butterworth KTM station, the fragility of the state’s integrated transport network is further exposed by service disruptions.
When ferry schedules falter, passengers are often left stranded at the terminal, highlighting a critical disconnect in the “last mile” infrastructure.
Costly miss
For Tommy Lee, a 63-year-old businessman, the lack of coordination proved expensive. A single ferry delay on Dec 8, 2025, left him RM150 out of pocket and derailed his plans to attend a crucial meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
Despite arriving at the George Town ferry terminal well before midday to catch the 1.05pm Electric Train Service (ETS) across the channel, Lee was blindsided by an unannounced hour-long ferry delay.
“There was no notice; I only found out after asking the crew when I became anxious,” he said.
Had he been informed earlier, he could have hailed a taxi to reach the station via the Penang Bridge.
By the time he reached the Butterworth platform at 1.45pm, his train had long departed.
“I wasn’t alone; other passengers had their tickets ‘burned’ too,” he said, adding that he was forced to buy a new ticket and wait until 6.45pm for the next available service.
Lee said transport operators should improve coordination and ensure disruptions were clearly communicated, especially to tourists and users unfamiliar with the system.
“Users who are not familiar should be properly informed so that they can make alternative arrangements if there are service disruptions.
“With this being Visit Malaysia year, there should be a better experience for visitors,” he added.
Commuter’s nightmare
Office administrator Nur Aisyah Rahman, 34, described her recent return from Perak as physically demanding.
Upon arriving at Penang Sentral on Dec 15, 2025, she found the primary walkway to the railway station closed for maintenance.
“We were diverted to a rear route where both lifts were broken, and one had an alarm blaring incessantly,” she recalled.
In the absence of working escalators, she found herself lugging suitcases up several flights of stairs while also assisting an elderly woman who was struggling with the climb.
While Nur Aisyah praised the ETS rail service itself, she described the transfer to the ferry as an experience “fraught with uncertainty”.
Recalling a previous trip from Kampar in Perak, she described a frantic scene of passengers sprinting from the ferry to the station.
“We boarded barely a minute before departure, soaked in sweat.
“For an affluent state, this connectivity feels like it belongs to another era,” she said.
Uncomfortable wait
For regular traveller R. Muniandy, 41, the only way to navigate the system is to build in excessive “buffer time”, often at the cost of hours spent in uncomfortable waiting areas.
“The assumption is that schedules are designed to connect, but I wouldn’t advise relying on published times if you aren’t physically fit or have luggage,” he said.
Even as an avid sportsman, Muniandy prefers to arrive hours early rather than risk a sprint.
“The downside is that a two-hour journey easily turns into four,” he said.
He highlighted that the situation was worsened by the lack of facilities and comfort at transport terminals.
“I am glad the ferry terminals are now air-conditioned and have charging ports.
“But the railway station, where larger crowds gather, is cramped, hot and humid, with limited seating,” he said.
Navigating the maze
A site inspection by StarMetro confirmed the arduous nature of the transfer.
Passengers disembarking at the Sultan Abdul Halim terminal must take the stairs or lift and walk 150m to Penang Sentral, followed by another 250m to the KTM station.
The primary air-conditioned walkway connecting the latter two hubs has been closed since Nov 8, following an incident where a Komuter train overshot the track and struck the structure.
The current alternative route forces passengers down four flights of stairs and along a non-air-conditioned path shared with vehicles.
Thankfully, there is a lift available but the wait can be long during peak periods.
At the railway station, the former air-conditioned waiting room has been restricted to “Ruby Lounge” access for ETS Gold ticket holders, opening only 40 minutes before departures.
Other passengers are left in fan-ventilated areas.
During the site visit, all ticket counters were closed and left kiosks as the only point of sale, while staff used megaphones to announce departures in the absence of digital signage.
Barriers to accessibility
The infrastructure is par- ticularly hostile to those with disabilities.
Datuk Teh Lay Kuan, president of the Penang Society of Disabled Persons, flagged several “poorly planned” features, including steep ferry ramps that are impossible to navigate independently in a wheelchair and tactile tiles that lead directly into barricades.
She said the limited number of lifts and the lack of clear, unobstructed pathways discouraged persons with disabilities from using public transport.
“Taking a ferry or train here requires assistance. Without someone to accompany me, I wouldn’t dare try it again,” she said.
Teh recalled a harrowing experience returning from Kuala Lumpur, when a lift failure left her stranded on a platform from midnight until 4am.
“It was midnight, and there was no one to help except a security guard. Backup only arrived four hours later,” she said.
Century of transition
The Penang ferry service is one of Malaysia’s most historic links, dating back to 1894.
By 2020, persistent maintenance issues and an ageing fleet led to the suspension of traditional vehicle-carrying ferries.
A temporary passenger-only speedboat service operated from 2021 before being replaced in 2023 by four catamaran ferries designed for pedestrians and motorcycles.
Each catamaran ferry – Teluk Kumbar, Teluk Bahang, Teluk Duyung and Teluk Kampi – cost RM18mil.
Both ferry terminals were upgraded with floating pontoons and berthing facilities to support the new vessels and improve boarding and disembarkation.
Under the weekday schedule, ferry services from Butterworth run from 6.30am to 11pm, while services from George Town operate from 7am to 11.30pm.
Penang Sentral, first proposed in 2007, took 11 years to open due to land acquisition disputes.
Adjacent to Penang Sentral is the Butterworth KTM station, serving ETS and Komuter services, with covered pedestrian links designed to facilitate transfers.
Though intended as a world-class integrated hub, the current “last mile” experience suggests that the physical links between the ferry, bus and rail components remain the weakest part of the chain.
