Penang Fast Ferry from Butterworth Penang Sentral to Penang Island Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT)

The Penang Fast Ferry connects Butterworth from Penang Sentral to Penang Island at Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT). The new January 2023 Penang Fast Ferry schedule enhances peak hour passenger ferry departures but eliminates the bicycle and motorcycle service. Heading over to Penang Island for dinner, I caught the Penang Fast Ferry on the peak hour frequency.

New Link Bridge from Butterworth Railway Station to Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) 

The link bridge from Butterworth Railway Station to Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) is finally ready!

A new set of escalators lead down to the ground level.

Following the path to the old junction where the old bridge across the railway tracks meet the slope up to Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH).

The slope bridge is just a refurbishment of the previous open-air bridge. I can’t believe this took years to complete.

This is definitely a much more pleasant and faster walk than the temporary route in hoardings and across roads and back building corridors.

Turn left for Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) for the Penang Fast Ferry.

Butterworth Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH)

The ferry schedule is displayed on this new LED sign.

Shop lots are coming up at the Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH).

The ticketing and waiting area is now at the ground floor of Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH).

Heading into the queue to get my ticket for the Penang Fast Ferry.

Malaysians can continue to ride the Penang Fast Ferry for free until 30 June 2023. For foreigners, an adult ticket costs RM1.20.

My ticket for the Penang Fast Ferry from Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) to Penang Island Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT).

The façade of the new waiting hall at Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH).

Scanning my ticket at the ticket gate to enter the waiting hall.

The new waiting hall at Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) is spacious with lots of seats. New snack stalls are also inside to sell refreshments to waiting passengers.

While I’m not sure if this upgrade to the passenger waiting hall is in relation to the long waiting time for the Penang Fast Ferry, I’m sure passengers would rather depart on the Penang Fast Ferry quicker without waiting for more than an hour in this new comfortable waiting room. The Penang Fast Ferry is supposed to be a simple a 10-minute commute, and not an irregular leisure ferry route.

There are also counter seats with power sockets.

Free WiFi is also available at new waiting hall at Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH).

I’m surprised that Penang Port has actually bothered to publish that the major upgrade to the Penang Ferry will be in 2021, when it’s now 2023 already.

The fleet list of the current fast ferries is also wrong, with Kenangan 2, 3, and 6 in operation. The RoRo ferries are also currently not in operation, and their numbers were spelt out as Satu and Dua respectively.

A queue line is placed at the boarding area.

The queue lined formed with the arrival of the incoming ferry. The departure time on the LED signed changed to the next ferry even before 6pm.

The new waiting room leads out to the regular path to the floating pontoon.

Heading down to the floating pontoon using this converted docking berth.

The old docking berth for the vehicle ferry has now been removed.

Penang Fast Ferry Kenangan 2

Kenangan 2 would be operating my 6pm Penang Fast Ferry.

Boarding the Kenangan 2 from the floating pontoon.

The interior of Kenangan 2 has a 4+4 seating configuration.

I picked a window seat for this Penang Fast Ferry journey.

My Penang Fast Ferry departed from Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) on time at 6pm.

The Penang Fast Ferry journey across the Penang Channel took 10 minutes.

Arriving at the Penang Fast Ferry Penang Island Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) floating pontoon.

Penang Island Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT)

Disembarking at the Penang Fast Ferry Penang Island Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) floating pontoon.

Heading up from the floating pontoon.

Looking back at Kenangan 2.

Heading in and out of the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) building.

The façade of Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT).

Heading out of Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT).

The Rapid Penang FERI Bus Service to Terminal Jetty meets arriving on the new schedule as well.

Conclusion

The Penang Fast Ferry‘s new peak hour 30-minute frequency is an improvement from the 2022 schedule, but is still very infrequent and unacceptable very infrequent and unacceptable as the only public transport link between Georgetown and Penang Sentral, and defeats the purpose of upgrading the Penang Fast Ferry fleet to faster ferries operated temporarily by Langkawi Ferry Services with low frequencies despite the faster travel time of 10 minutes. The new waiting hall for departing passengers at Butterworth Penang Sentral Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) is certainly an improvement, but I’m sure passengers would rather hop on to a more frequent Penang Fast Ferry than to wait in a new waiting hall.