Penang Hill cable car
| Penang Hill Cable Car | |
|---|---|
.svg)  Location within George Town | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Proposed |
| System | Gondola lift |
| Location | George Town |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Coordinates | 5°26′11″N 100°17′28″E / 5.43639°N 100.29111°E |
| Termini | Penang Rifle Club Penang Hill |
| No. of stations | 2 |
| Services | 1 |
| Construction cost | RM245 million (US$59.18 million) |
| Construction begin | June 2024 |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Penang Hill Corporation |
| Operator | Hartasuma Sdn Bhd |
| No. of carriers | 50 |
| Carrier capacity | 8 |
| Ridership | 1,000 per hour (design) |
| Trip duration | 10 minutes |
| Technical features | |
| Manufactured by | Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group |
| Line length | 2.73 km (1.70 mi) |
| No. of support towers | 15 |
| Operating speed | 6 m/s (20 ft/s) (design) |
The Penang Hill cable car is a proposed gondola lift in George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. The planned 2.73 km (1.70 mi) line will connect the Penang Botanic Gardens to the peak of Penang Hill and is intended to complement the existing Penang Hill Railway. The cable car line is projected to serve a capacity of 1,000 passengers per hour per direction. Construction of the line is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2024 and will be completed by 2027.
History[edit]
A cable car system complementing the existing Penang Hill Railway was first announced by then Malaysian Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng in 2019.[1] The funicular railway had recorded a ridership of 1.74 million throughout 2018 and Penang officials were seeking an alternative mode of transportation to reduce the overdependence on the railway.[2][3] The federal government allocated RM100 million for the cable car project in the 2020 budget, with additional costs to be borne by the Penang state government. The Penang Rifle Club, situated adjacent to the Penang Botanic Gardens, was selected as the ground station over other areas such as Teluk Bahang.[1]
A political crisis in 2020 led to the removal of the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government by the right-wing Perikatan Nasional. As a result, federal allocations promised for the cable car project were cancelled.[4] Despite this, in 2021, the state's Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced a request for proposal for the project, citing "tremendous" public support.[4][5] The project was to be awarded through a public–private partnership framework, with the selected developer given a 30-year concession to design, finance, build, operate and transfer the system. Six proposals were received by the Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) and in 2022, Malaysian firm Hartasuma Sdn Bhd was awarded the project.[6][7]
As the cable car project is to be undertaken on slopes between 25 and 35 degrees, federal government oversight was required, involving traffic impact (TIA) and environmental impact (EIA) assessments.[8][9] To build and operate cable car systems at ecologically sensitive areas, the PHC sought technical expertise from Switzerland and Austria; Penang Hill had been inscribed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2021.[9][10] In 2023, Chief Minister Chow announced that the cable car infrastructure would be provided by Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group.[11]
The cable car project received approval from federal government environmental regulators in 2024.[3] Construction is expected to begin in May or June 2024, and is estimated to be completed in two to three years.[12]
Design[edit]
The cable car system is designed to cater to a capacity of 1,000 passengers per hour per direction, comprising 50 eight-seater carriages that travel at a speed of 6 m/s (20 ft/s).[8][13] Citing extensive experience in ropeway engineering within UNESCO-designated sites, Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group has been selected to provide the cable car infrastructure.[11]
The project will include the construction of 15 towers – five in the forests, and the other 10 near the upper and ground stations. The foundations are to be built using the hand-dug caisson method to reduce on-site clearing. The PHC stated that only 50 trees would be affected by the construction, primarily African tulip, royal palm and oil palm surrounding the lower end of the route.[13]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Nambiar, Predeep (16 Oct 2019). "Penang mulls Botanic Gardens-Penang Hill cable car project". Free Malaysia Today. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ Opalyn Mok (11 Oct 2019). "RM100m cable car allocation will spur Penang's tourism sector, says Penang Hill Corporation". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ a b Nambiar, Predeep (3 Feb 2024). "RM245mil Penang cable car project gets EIA approval". Free Malaysia Today. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ a b Nasir, Sofia (11 Jan 2021). "State opens RFP for RM150 mil Penang Hill cable car project". The Vibes. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ Teoh, Jie Ying (11 Jan 2021). "Public supports RM150 mil Penang Hill cable car project, says Chow". Free Malaysia Today. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ "Press Statement by the Chief Minister of Penang YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow: Penang Hill Cable Car Project Request for Proposal (RFP) Awarded" (PDF). Penang Hill. 14 Dec 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Trisha, N. (15 Dec 2022). "Penang Hill cable car project gets okay". The Star. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ a b "Penang Hill cable car not 'mass rapid transport', says PHC". Free Malaysia Today. 19 Mar 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ a b Opalyn Mok (17 May 2023). "Penang Hill Corp expects to start construction of cable car project in Q2 2024". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ "Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve". UNESCO. June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ a b "CONCESSION AGREEMENT SIGNING CEREMONY - DEVELOPMENT OF BUKIT BENDERA CABLE CAR SERVICE UNDER DESIGN, FINANCE, BUILD, OPERATE AND TRANSFER MODE". Chief Minister of Penang. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ "Penang Hill cable car construction works expected to begin by end of May this year — state exco". The Edge. 14 Apr 2024. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.
- ^ a b Seraj, Zaf (9 Mar 2024). "Report: Penang Hill Corporation's RM245m cable car project will only affect about 50 trees, says GM". Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 19 Apr 2024.