ETS by KTM - Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth in 4 hours

Apparently everybody's using the ETS today . Big businessmen , backpackers ....and now me .

It costs MYR 59 to get from KL to Butterworth and vice versa , which is not exactly cheap but considering how terribly delayed ( or cancelled ! Gasp ! ) flights out of Penang especially , are these days , this is your best and fastest option currently .

Frankly , I was sceptical on the promised arrival time . I mean , nothing ever goes according to time , right ? 

Not when it comes to the ETS .

They're so punctual , I think the only other service where one has to be so kancheong is the European TGV .

Once I boarded , put my luggage up , and sat down , the doors were closing already ! 

Fuyoooh , you don't play play , with this one or you will have to buy another ticket I tell you !

Right now , a lot of fixtures are still ok . Overall clean and comfy .

Needless to say , the airconditioning can peak to Siberian climate , so bring a jacket or your pee might come out in cubes . And bring disinfectant for the loo while you're at it too . You'll need it .

Despite the jacket , if you're still turning blue , head to Coach C for a hot cuppa and nasilemak with the best smelling sambal , even if you're not hungry and not usually a sambal eater , once the aroma hits you , you WILL be hungry !

The downside to the makan coach is there is only enough dining space for 4 pax ! Believe it .

Anyway , back to the seats...... there's a food tray as well as a leg rest . Seats pull back slightly . Arm rest divider can be tucked up .

On the window side , there's a nice pull down screen which blocks out the sun glare and those silver things you can pull down to hang up your bag and stuff .

Wonder what's the top speed ?

I only managed to snap this but I saw it peak at 144 km / h .

There are 3 daily services from KL Sentral to Butterworth . It's not a direct train , you can get off at other towns along the track . Some local backpackers use this to get to Cameron Highlands faster than you can drive there .

Weekends are fully booked most of the time , so you really need to plan ahead if you wanna ride this one and see if you can really reach Penang in 4 hours flat .