Cable car ride to Penang Hill from 2026 to ease pressure on century-old funicular service (2024)

GEORGE TOWN – Penang residents and tourists can enjoy a cable car ride to Penang Hill by the third quarter of 2026, and it promises to be a scenic ride.

About 400m from Penang Botanic Gardens’ front gate, the road will be turned into a pedestrian promenade under shady trees.

Pedestrians who stroll up to the fountains and water lilies decorating the front of the gardens will see the cable car station to their left.

The 1.2ha station will be called the Garden Station, and it will have food and beverage outlets and retail shops.

From there, one can take a 2.73km cable car ride to the peak of Penang Hill, about 700m above sea level, where the temperature is several degrees cooler than below. The ride will take less than 10 minutes.

At peak hours, a maximum of 1,000 passengers an hour may travel this way. To minimise impact to the environment, only five pylon towers will be erected in the jungle while the remaining 10 towers will be built close to the upper and lower stations and the jeep track.

At the ground-breaking ceremony on June 29 for the Garden Station, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reminisced about his early days of visiting Penang Hill in a speech.

“Penang Hill is unique and its conservation was taken into account when the cable car was planned,” he said.

“There is an aspect of culture in its architecture.

“I hope the design will reflect the beauty of the hill that is not only scenic but also historical and significant to the region as an important tourist destination.”

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the cable car system would provide a much-needed alternative to and alleviate pressure on the century-old funicular train service.

Referring to the company that will build the system, he said: “Hartasuma Sdn Bhd won the project with an investment of RM250 million (S$71.8 million) made through a public-private partnership with the Penang government and now, we move on to the physical work.

“To alleviate concerns over limited parking during the construction phase, Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) has negotiated with Penang Hindu Endowment Board and Penang Island City Council to provide temporary parking at Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple and Penang City Park.”

Mr Chow added that Penang Hill is a key destination in Malaysia. It had 1.66 million visitors in 2023, compared with 1.48 million in 2022.

“In the first five months of this year, there were 665,994 visitors, of which 40 per cent were foreign tourists,” he said.

Hartasuma Group executive director Ravindran Menon said the cable car system was a pivotal step in re-energising the appeal of the historic hill.

“Our goal for Penang Hill is to create an experience that respects and upholds its history and natural beauty as a Unesco Biosphere Reserve,” he said.

Aware of concerns surrounding this project, Tan Sri Ravindran gave the assurance that the construction approach was rooted in respect for the natural environment.

“Extensive studies and careful planning were taken to minimise ecological disruptions, and we have stringent measures in place to protect the flora and fauna,” he said.

Hartasuma, a pioneer in the Malaysian rail industry, was awarded a 30-year concession to design, finance, build and operate the Penang Hill cable car system.

The company appointed Austria-based ropeway market leader Doppelmayr Seilbahnen to supply the cable car system.

Doppelmayr has built more than 15,400 ropeway installations worldwide, including 86 cable car installations located in Unesco heritage, geopark and biosphere sites as well as various national parks around the world.

Also present were Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing, PHC general manager Cheok Lay Leng and state leaders.

Non-governmental organisation Sahabat Alam Malaysia, which previously objected to the project, could not be reached for comment. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK