An alternative transport to avoid bad traffic to & from up north? KL – Butterworth ETS fast train service ready by July 2015.

Here’s some good news. The northern route of the Electric Train Service (ETS) from Ipoh to Butterworth is expected to start next month. When combined with the current KL-Ipoh service, the fast train will connect the capital city to Penang, offering an alternative to the car and airplane.

“On July 9, I will personally head to Batu Gajah in Perak to attend a trial run with other government officials to check on the Ipoh-Butterworth trains. Only after that, I will announce the important details of this new route, such as the schedule and the fares,” Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said in Sitiawan yesterday.

Liow said that trial runs are currently ongoing and a lot of preparation was needed before the route could be fully operational. “Once it is, I’m sure it will provide a good service to the people.”