Sunday October 11, 2009
In for a cool, speedy ride
SINCE January this year, hundreds of tourists and local residents have been stranded on Penang Hill for hours due to disruptions to the train service.
Ng Wei Aik, political secretary to the Penang Chief Minister, says in the last eight months, there have been four breakdowns due mainly to technical and electricity supply disruptions. The most recent was on Sept 21, which caused the train service to be disrupted for more than three hours.
But all these problems may soon be over, as a RM60mil federal-funded funicular upgrading project will kick off this month. Ng says the Public Works Department (PWD) has appointed a contractor and the entire project, which includes upgrading the railway tracks, cables, engine room, upper and lower stations, and the coach, will take about a year.
For the first six months, there will be no disruption in the train service, he assures. But from May 2010, service will be stopped until upgrading work is complete. Visitors will have to travel up the hill in jeeps.
The new train will be able to travel at a speed of between 1m and 10m per second, compared to the present 1.4m per second.
The train will stop at several points along the way, so passengers will not have to change coaches (at the middle station) like now. The new air-conditioned coaches, all compliant with international safety standards, will be much cooler and quieter too, he adds.
At present, the fan-cooled coaches are hot and noisy, especially when packed. What’s worse is that the system does not comply with international safety standards, thus the frequent breakdowns.
From March last year till May this year, Pakatan Rakyat has spent some RM600,000 on repair works on the railway.
At the August state legislative assembly sitting, a bill on the establishment of the Penang Hill Development Corporation was passed. The body will manage, operate, control and maintain the Penang Hill Railway service.
The enactment empowers the corporation to enter into contracts, and acquire, purchase, take, hold and enjoy movable and immovable property of every description on the hill.
The state government will contribute a yearly grant of RM2.5mil to help it as income from the funicular railway service is not sufficient to sustain the corporation’s expenditure and management.
A trust fund under Section 10 of the Financial Procedure Act 1957 will also be set up to allow it to generate funds through contributions and activities.
However, some concerns have been raised about the boundary of the corporation’s power, the amount of state funds that will be channelled to it, and the uncertainty involving the future of the current Penang Hill Railway Unit employees.
In addition to the federal upgrading project, construction of a four-storey carpark next to the lower station will also be completed in about a year, Ng says.
“The state plans to revitalise and rehabilitate the abandoned bungalows on the hill by calling for open tenders. Once the general manager and staff are appointed to the Penang Hill Development Corporation, we will start drawing up plans to attract investors.”
When the new funicular train system project is completed, it will be managed, operated and maintained by the state government.
The new system – which is safer, low on maintenance and cost effective – can ferry up to 80 people per trip in about 10 minutes non-stop.
The present 82-year-old system can only ferry 60 people on 30-minute trips and passengers have to get down at the middle station to take another coach up the hill. This has resulted in passengers having to wait for hours to catch the train during peak periods. Not to mention the hassle during rainy days.
The new coach will be air-conditioned and have a glass roof that allows travellers to enjoy the beautiful scenery around them.
Last year, the hill recorded 368,000 tourists, of whom over 36% were foreigners.
Related Stories:
The hills are alive
Plans and precautions
Keep an eye on plans
A brief history
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