Service to resume soon

Service to resume soon

Penang Hill funicular train station

THE new Penang Hill funicular train service is expected to be open to the public by next month or May.

Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) director Datuk Lee Kah Choon said the infrastructure and facilities were not ready for visitors yet.

He said the staff were still undergoing training on the new computerised system during daily test runs.

“We want to resume the services as soon as possible too because then we can start earning revenue.

“But the base and middle stations as well as the necessary amenities are not ready,” he said.

“There are cracks on the walls and the ceiling is leaking,” he told the press during a project briefing at the popular tourist attraction yesterday.

He said PHC could not conduct any repair, cleaning and maintenance work for more than a year while the funicular railway was being upgraded.

The new system replaces the 87-year-old funicular railway which was closed in February last year.

Lee added that PHC was also in the midst of ironing out some kinks in the train.

He said initial feedback was that the air conditioning was noisy and not cold enough and the coaches’ ceilings were too low.

“We also need to make sure that passengers can embark and disembark safely and to segregate the passengers from the driver to prevent the latter from being distracted,” he said.

He said PHC was also looking into fencing up the railway tracks.

“High voltage power cables lining the tracks are dangerous and there are snakes under the tracks.

“Fencing up the place will be expensive but we may have to consider it,” he said.

On ticket prices, Lee said they were still being discussed as there was a need to balance affordability with ensuring that there were enough funds to maintain the service.

On March 19, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen officially handed over the completed project to PHC.

The ministry’s RM73mil upgrading project included changing the rail tracks, two Swiss-made air-conditioned coa­ches, construction of the base station and a public carpark.

-News courtesy of The Star-