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KTM Komuter Northern Sector

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KTM Komuter Northern Sector
 1   2 
Keretapi Tanah Melayu KTM Komuter
Image
KTM Class 83 at Padang Besar Railway Station
Overview
Native nameKTM Komuter Utara
StatusOperational
OwnerKeretapi Tanah Melayu
LocaleGeorge Town Conurbation, Perak, Greater Kedah and Perlis
Termini
Stations23
Websitewww.ktmb.com.my
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemKTM Komuter
Services 1  Ipoh–Butterworth
 2  Padang Besar–Butterworth
Route number 1   2 
OperatorKeretapi Tanah Melayu (Komuter Division)
DepotBukit Tengah
Rolling stockKTM Class 81 3-car formation
KTM Class 83 3-car formation
KTM Class 84 3-car formation (future)
KTM Class 92 6-car formation
Daily ridership17,085 (Q2 2026)[1]
Ridership6.41 million (2025)[2]
History
Opened11 September 2015; 11 years ago (11 September 2015)
Technical
Line lengthButterworth–Ipoh: 162 km (101 mi)
Butterworth–Padang Besar: 169.8 km (105.5 mi)
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speedUp to 125 km/h (78 mph)
Route map

Legend
Northern Sector network
Image
to Hat Yai
Image
Thailand
Malaysia
international
border
Image
Image
 Padang Besar KTM ETS Parking
Image
 Bukit Ketri Parking
Image
 Arau KTM ETS Bus interchange Parking Image
Image
Image Changlun-Kuala Perlis Highway
Image
Perlis
Kedah
state
border
Image
 Kodiang Parking
Image
Kedah River bridge
Image
 Anak Bukit KTM ETS Sultan Abdul Halim Airport Parking
Image
 Alor Setar KTM ETS Parking
Image
 Kobah Parking
Image
 Gurun KTM ETS Parking
Image
 Sungai Petani KTM ETS Parking
Image
Image North-South Expressway
Image
Kedah
Penang
state
border
Image
 Tasek Gelugor KTM ETS Rapid Penang Parking
Image
Image
Image
 Butterworth
 3  KTM ETS Penang Ferry Service Rapid Penang Parking
Image
Image
Perai River swing bridge
Image
Image
Image North-South Expressway
Image
Image
 Bukit Tengah Rapid Penang Parking, Image Butterworth–Kulim Expressway
Image
Image
Image
 Bukit Mertajam KTM ETS Rapid Penang Parking
Image
Image
Image
Image
Bukit Mertajam junction
Image
 Simpang Ampat Rapid Penang Parking
Image
Image North-South Expressway
Image
Image Jalan Nibong Tebal
Image
 Nibong Tebal KTM ETS Rapid Penang Parking Image
Image
Kerian River bridge
Image
Penang
Perak
state
border
Image
Jalan Sempadan
Image
 Parit Buntar KTM ETS Parking
Image
 Bagan Serai KTM ETS Parking
Image
Jalan Mahkamah
Image
Image North-South Expressway
Image
 Bukit Merah Lake Railway Bridge
Image
Jalan Taiping-Bagan Serai
Image
 Kamunting Parking
Image
Jalan Asam Kumbang
Image
 Taiping KTM ETS Parking
Image
Image Jalan Simpang
Image
Larut Tunnel
Image
Image
Image North-South Expressway
Image
Bukit Berapit Tunnel
Image
Image North-South Expressway
Image
Image
 Padang Rengas KTM ETS Parking
Image
Image Jalan Baling-Kuala Kangsar
Image
 Kuala Kangsar KTM ETS Parking
Image
 Perak River bridge
(Formerly Victoria Bridge)
Image
Image Federal Route 1
Image
 Sungai Siput KTM ETS Parking
Image
Image Jalan Kuala Kangsar
Image
Image
 Ipoh KTM ETS Sultan Azlan Shah Airport Parking
Image
to Kuala Lumpur, Gemas
& Johor Bahru Sentral

The KTM Komuter Northern Sector (Malay: KTM Komuter Utara) is one of the five KTM Komuter services run by Malaysian rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). The service was introduced on 11 September 2015 following the completion of the Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrification and Double-Tracking Project in December 2014, which also saw the extension of ETS services to Padang Besar from Ipoh.[3]

Image
KTM Komuter Northern Sector physical ticket for journey from Butterworth station to Padang Besar station

Currently, the KTM Komuter Northern Sector consists of two routes, namely the Butterworth – Padang Besar route and the Ipoh – Butterworth route. The lines share tracks with KTM ETS services, though the Komuter services call at stations also not served by ETS.

Lines, stations and rolling stock

[edit]

The KTM Komuter Northern Section consists of two routes:

Since November 2021, the Butterworth-Padang Rengas route replaced the Bukit Mertajam–Kamunting route. The Bukit Mertajam, Bukit Tengah and Butterworth stations are common stations between the two lines.[4] On 16 September 2023, the Butterworth–Padang Rengas route was extended southwards to Ipoh.

⇄ = cross-platform interchange


Station Name Platform type  2   1  Interchange station/Notes
Padang Besar 2 island ● Northern terminus. Connects to Thailand's SRT Southern Line.

⇄ KTM ETS
Bukit Ketri ●
Arau ● ⇄ KTM ETS

Access to Universiti Teknologi MARA's (UiTM) Arau Campus, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), and the Perlis Matriculation College
Kodiang 2 side ● Access to Kedah Matriculation College
Anak Bukit ● ⇄ KTM ETS

Access to Sultan Abdul Halim Airport within 5 to 8 minutes by taxi.
Alor Setar ● ⇄ KTM ETS
Kobah ●
Gurun 2 island ● ⇄ KTM ETS
Sungai Petani 2 side ● ⇄ KTM ETS

Access to Universiti Teknologi MARA's (UiTM) Merbok Campus
Tasek Gelugor 1 island 1 side ● ⇄ KTM ETS

Access to Penang Matriculation College
Bukit Mertajam 2 island ● ● Interchange station

⇄ KTM ETS
Bukit Tengah ● ● Interchange station
Butterworth ● ● Central terminus. Connecting station to  MTL  LRT Mutiara Line (future).

Access to George Town by Penang Ferry Service.

⇄ KTM ETS
Bukit Tengah ● ● Interchange station
Bukit Mertajam ● ● Interchange station

⇄ KTM ETS
Simpang Ampat 2 side ●
Nibong Tebal ● ⇄ KTM ETS

Access to Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Campus
Parit Buntar ● ⇄ KTM ETS
Bagan Serai ●
Kamunting 2 island ●
Taiping 2 side ● ⇄ KTM ETS
Padang Rengas 2 island ●
Kuala Kangsar 2 side ● ⇄ KTM ETS
Sungai Siput 2 island ●
Ipoh 2 side ● Southern terminus.

⇄ KTM ETS

The train sets that are currently used for the Northern services are the KTM Class 83 as well as the KTM Class 92, the latter which is also used on the Central sector lines.

The service will receive 12 KTM Class 84 sets from CRRC Zhuzhou with the first set arrived in August 2026 and expected to begin operating in February 2027.[5][6]

Schedule

[edit]
Image
Schedule of KTM Komuter Northern Sector at Butterworth station

KTM Komuter Northern Sector has 2 routes/lines, in which they have their own schedule.

Image
The (modified—with additional handle bars) interior of a Class 83 EMU train

History

[edit]

The KTM Komuter Northern Service was introduced on 11 September 2015. The initial service ran between Gurun in Kedah, Butterworth in Penang and Kamunting in Perak.[7][8][9][10] On 1 January 2016, a service between Butterworth and Padang Besar in Perlis was introduced. With the introduction of KTM Komuter services on this section, two KTM ETS services that ran between these stations have ceased, reducing the number of ETS services between the stations to make way for the new KTM Komuter service.[11][12]

On 17 January 2016, the original Gurun-Butterworth-Kamunting route was replaced with two separate routes: Butterworth-Gurun and Butterworth-Kamunting. These two lines together with the Butterworth-Padang Besar line operated until 1 July 2016, when the Butterworth-Gurun route was scrapped.[13]

A further revamp of routes on 1 September 2016 saw the Butterworth-Kamunting line being modified, with the northern terminus moving from Butterworth to Bukit Mertajam, and the southern terminus being extended by two additional stations from Kamunting to include Taiping and ending at Padang Rengas.

From November 4, 2021, trains from Padang Rengas and Padang Besar now terminate at Butterworth, making Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam the shared interchange stations between both lines.

An extension of the Padang Rengas line to Kuala Kangsar, Sungai Siput and Ipoh began running on 16 September 2023.[14][15]

Ridership

[edit]
KTM Komuter Northern Sector Ridership[16][17]
Year Quarter Ridership Annual Ridership Note
2026 Q4 3,739,483
Q3 566,584 As of July 2026
Q2 1,603,659
Q1 1,569,240
2025 Q4 1,692,425 6,417,047
Q3 1,646,746
Q2 1,636,408
Q1 1,441,468
2024 Q4 1,522,967 5,725,901
Q3 1,408,840
Q2 1,449,414
Q1 1,344,680
2023 Q4 1,321,673 4,358,963
Q3 1,071,994
Q2 1,007,257
Q1 958,039
2022 Q4 1,004,927 3,057,483
Q3 854,871
Q2 705,063
Q1 492,622
2021 Q4 460,836 1,046,594
Q3 130,874
Q2 199,706
Q1 255,178

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Daily Rail Ridership in Peninsular Malaysia". Daily Rail Ridership. Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). 3 August 2026. Archived from the original on 19 August 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "APAD Yearly Ridership Update". Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Dermawan, Audrey (11 September 2015). "KTM shuttle train service begins today | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  4. ↑ KTM Timetable
  5. ↑ "Malaysia to add 12 new trains for KTM Komuter Utara, first delivery in 22 months, says Loke". Malay Mail. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Tren elektrik baharu KTMB beroperasi Februari 2027" [KTMB new electric train operating February 2027]. Portal Berita RTM (in Malay). 30 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Northern KTM Komuter service pending SPAD approval". The Star. 24 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Commuter rail to service north soon". The Star. 25 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Northern folks to enjoy new mode of transportation". The Star. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "KTM Commuter service connecting Kamunting and Gurun launched". The Star. 11 September 2015.
  11. ↑ "KTM Komuter service from Butterworth to Padang Besar launched". The Star. 1 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Penamatan Perkhidmatan Tren Ets Butterworth – Padang Besar – Butterworth EG9501 Dan EG9502, Bermula 01 Januari 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Penambahbaikan Perkhidmatan Tren Shuttle KTM Komuter di Sektor Utara" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "KTM Komuter Utara Extension to Ipoh from 16 September 2023". railtravelstation.com. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "和丰火车站的铁道火车通勤服务 即将于9月16日开始往返北部". China Press. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Statistic of Rail Transport". Ministry of Transport Malaysia. Ministry of Transport (Malaysia). 16 June 2025. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  17. ↑ Malaysia, Government of. "Public Transportation | data.gov.my". data.gov.my. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
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