KTMB and Thailand's State Railway (SRT), the national train operator, have announced several exciting new collaborations between the two countries, including the revival of a direct train service from Bangkok to Butterworth station in Penang.

In an official statement on its Facebook page, SRT shared that both national train operators have agreed in principle to conduct a test run of the service between Bangkok and Butterworth.

The Bangkok-Butterworth direct train service is expected to launch soon.

A joint study on the proposal will be carried out, with the service initially operating for 6 months. This announcement follows the 42nd KTMB-SRT Joint Conference held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, where SRT's Deputy Governor, Awirut Thongnet, led a delegation to discuss enhancing rail cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand. The meeting aimed to promote seamless travel and cargo transportation between the two nations.

For context, SRT canceled its daily express train service between Bangkok and Butterworth in 2016, with the route now ending at Padang Besar station at the Malaysia-Thailand border. Passengers traveling to Butterworth must currently switch to a KTMB train at Padang Besar to continue their journey into Malaysia.

The upcoming direct train will start from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok to Butterworth station in Penang and vice versa.

Additionally, SRT has approved the extension of KTMB’s MySawasdee tourist train service, which will now operate all the way to Surat Thani province instead of just Hat Yai station.

The MySawasdee special train, which provides express service between KL Sentral and Hat Yai, has been a success, consistently operating at full capacity. This service has further boosted tourism and generated additional revenue for Thailand.