Butterworth

Butterworth is a major town in North Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is the largest town within Seberang Perai, the mainland halve of the State of Penang. Butterworth is located approximately 3km east of George Town, the capital city of Penang, across the Penang Strait., Butterworth had a total of 71,643 residents.Known unofficially in Malay as Bagan, Butterworth was named after a British official who served as the Governor of the Straits Settlements in the mid-19th century. The town came into being as a landing place across the Penang Strait from George Town. While the British East India Company initially obtained Seberang Perai (then named Province Wellesley) for agricultural purposes, Butterworth has also witnessed massive industrialisation during the latter half of the 20th century.Since its founding, Butterworth has been acting as the main transportation hub within the state of Penang. It is linked to George Town primarily via the Penang Ferry Service. The Port of Penang operates its core operations in Butterworth, handling over 1.1 million TEU of cargo as of 2010, the second largest amount in Malaysia. In addition, the Butterworth railway station, situated adjacent to the town's ferry terminal, is a major Malayan Railway station, with train services operated by both the Malayan Railway (along the west coast states of Peninsular Malaysia and into Singapore) and the State Railway of Thailand.