KL Sentral Station is South East Asia’s largest train station covering an area of over 38,000 sqm and linked to a large shopping mall, restaurants, hotels and offices all within the same building. KL Sentral Station can be confusing to first time visitors with 4 different types of train services departing from the same station, each with its own ticketing system and separate ticket counters.
KL Sentral Railway Station
KL Sentral Station is a very modern style of train station with a range of high quality modern local and intercity services operating out of the station. City centre transport systems operate out of buildings linked to the main train station by walkways, and a lot of intercity bus services stop at the station dropping off passengers on route to the main bus station. There is also a fast link to both of Kuala Lumpur’s International Airports. KL Sentral Station is a ‘transport hub’ in the truest sense of the term connecting the intercity rail network seamlessly with suburban transport systems, Malaysian bus services and air links.

KL Sentral Station has 8 platforms with an estimated 100,000 passengers per day passing through the station, compared to 60,000 passengers per day at Bangkok’s main train station, Hua Lamphong Railway Station, which has 12 train platforms.
Train Times from KL Sentral Station to Penang
There are currently 6 direct train services a day from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth Railway Station near Penang which can book online.
Train | Kuala Lumpur | Penang | Service |
9172 | 08:03 | 12:15 | ETS Platinum |
9174 | 11:08 | 15:23 | ETS Platinum |
9176 | 13:37 | 17:49 | ETS Gold |
9178 | 15:55 | 20:07 | ETS Platinum |
9322 | 18:00 | 22:22 | ETS Gold |
9180 | 20:10 | 00:22 | ETS Platinum |
- Check train ticket availability from KL Sentral Station to Butterworth Railway Station in Penang.
Train Times from KL Sentral Station to Ipoh
There are currently 16 direct train services a day from Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station to Ipoh.
Train | Kuala Lumpur | Ipoh | Service |
9272 | 07:08 | 09:42 | ETS Platinum |
9172 | 08:03 | 10:32 | ETS Platinum |
9022 | 08:47 | 11:28 | ETS Gold |
9274 | 09:50 | 12:24 | ETS Platinum |
9420 | 10:40 | 13:22 | ETS Gold |
9174 | 11:08 | 13:37 | ETS Platinum |
9024 | 11:32 | 14:13 | ETS Gold |
9176 | 13:37 | 16:06 | ETS Platinum |
9028 | 15:00 | 17:36 | ETS Gold |
9178 | 15:55 | 18:24 | ETS Platinum |
9322 | 17:55 | 20:34 | ETS Gold |
9276 | 18:31 | 21:05 | ETS Platinum |
9032 | 19:03 | 21:39 | ETS Gold |
9180 | 20:10 | 22:39 | ETS Platinum |
9052 | 21:40 | 00:18 | ETS Silver |
9278 | 22:50 | 01:19 | ETS Platinum |
- Check train ticket availability from KL Sentral Station to Ipoh.
Train Times from KL Sentral Station to Padang Besar
There are currently 5 direct train services a day from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar.
Train | Kuala Lumpur | Padang Besar | Service |
9272 | 07:08 | 12:41 | ETS Platinum |
9274 | 09:50 | 15:23 | ETS Platinum |
9420 | 10:45 | 16:33 | ETS Gold |
9276 | 18:31 | 00:04 | ETS Platinum |
9278 | 22:50 | 04:18 | ETS Platinum |
- Check train ticket availability from KL Sentral Station to Padang Besar.
Train Times from KL Sentral Station to Gemas
There are currently 2 direct train services a day from Kuala Lumpur to Gemas which you can book online.
Train | Kuala Lumpur | Gemas | Service |
9321 | 12:19 | 14:52 | ETS Gold |
9425 | 21:40 | 00:10 | ETS Gold |
- Check train ticket availability from KL Sentral Station to Gemas.
Buy Train Tickets Online
Use the Search Box below to buy train tickets from Kuala Lumpur:
For journey to places other than Penang (Butterworth Railway Station) change the destination in the Search Box and click to Find Tickets.
Facilities at KL Sentral Station
The main concourse at KL Sentral Station has rows and food outlets of shops on both sides. These include a branch of Burger King, Mc Donald’s, a pharmacy and a convenience store. The station also has clean free toilets, which you passengers are advised to make use of as none of the trains departing from KL Sentral Station have on board toilets.

The main concourse of the train station is connected to a massive shopping mall by escalators. There is most likely nothing that you could need to buy or eat that you couldn’t find within 500 metres of the entrance to the train station. There are also some luxury hotels (Hilton and Le Meridien brands) within the same building. For cheaper hotels, bars serving alcohol and local restaurants, make your way through the NU Sentral shopping mall at the other side of the building from KL Sentral Station to exit onto Jalan Tun Sambathan. We recommend the City Central Hotel KL on this street as being a great mid-range hotel to stay in overnight for a stopover at KL Sentral Station. Its easy to find, well run and near plenty of bars and restaurants.
Buying Tickets at the Station
Tickets counters for ETS Gold and Platinum trains (these are the long distance services to Penang, Padanag Besar, Ipoh and Gemas) are on the top floor of KL Sentral Station. To reach the ETS ticket counters go up the escalators at the opposite end of the station concourse to the entrance to Nu Sentral shopping mall and turn right. You will see an ETS information desk and seating area in front of a row of ticket counters. This is the place you need to go to purchase ETS tickets for both the day of travel and for advance travel. ETS services depart from Platforms 1 & 2 accessed from the upper floor and Platform 3 which is accessible from the main concourse of the station.
- Malaysia Trains Tip: Check which platform your ETS train will depart from when you buy your ticket.

Tickets for KTM Komuter services and other train services operating out of the KL Sentral Station are located off the main concourse. There is no advance booking for tickets on these services. What you do is to locate the platform for the service you want to take and buy your ticket as you enter the platform. The ticket counter for each service is located near the ticket gates restricting access to the relevant platforms.
Travel from KL Sentral Station
There are a total of 4 different types of train service operating out of KL Sentral Station:
- 1) KTM Intercity Services
- Komuter line from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh
- ETS Gold and Platinum services between Gemas and Padang Besar via Kuala Lumpur.
- 2) Express Rail Link
- KLIA Ekspres (fast service to KLIA and KLIA 2)
- KLIA Transit (stopping train to KLIA and KLIA 2)
- 3) KTM Komuter Services
- Seremban Line
- Port Klang Line
- Skypark Link
- 4) Rapid Kl (light railway transit service with driverless trains)
- Kelana Jaya Line

The majority of foreign tourists are only likely to use the KTM Inercity Services and the Express Rail Link to the airport. However, it is worth noting the KTM Seremban Line runs to the famous Batu Caves and you can reach the inexpensive ferry to the island of Sumatra via the KTM Port Klang Line.