Thailand and Malaysia plan to revive the direct train service between Bangkok and Butterworth.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and KTMB, which operates trains in Malaysia, have agreed in principle on a test run of a service between Bangkok and Butterworth.

The SRT said on Tuesday there would be a joint study into the proposal. The service is planned to operate initially for six months.

The SRT cancelled its daily express service between Bangkok and Butterworth in 2016, instead operating only to Padang Besar on the border with Malaysia. Passengers must switch to a Malaysian train at Padang Besar to continue to Butterworth and elsewhere in Malaysia.  

Padang Besar station is on the border in Sadao district of Songkhla province. 

Butterworth is a coastal town in northern Malaysia's Penang state, and the gateway to popular Penang island.

The two railway agencies also agreed to promote tourism by extending the route of the Malaysian holiday excursion train My Sawasdee, which currenly terminates at Hat Yai. It will be continued to Surat Thani at a date to be discussed later.

My Sawadee operates only on holidays and takes Malaysians from Kuala Lumpur and stops in between to Hat Yai, which is very popular with Malaysian visitors.