February 1, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Come March, the Penang Hill funicular train service is expected to resume, using new Swiss-made coaches. Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the project was expected to be completed by end of the month. “We will put one month as the testing period and are confident the service will resume, soonest by the end of March,” she told reporters after chairing a recent Penang MCA meeting.
The train service up Penang Hill will commence on March 2011, with completely new trains
On Feb 22, the 87-year-old funicular train service ceased operations to make way for a RM63 million upgrading project by the tourism ministry.
Meanwhile, Ng said she had spoken to botanist Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat on the development of a garden atop the Penang Hill.
“I am very pleased that he (Lim) has taken the initiative to develop the garden, and we have discussed how to transform the hill to be one of the beautiful hill gardens in the region,” she added.
On the entrance fees, Ng said she had suggested that the authorities look into the possibility of two-tier fees for MyKad and non-MyKad holders.
“It is not that we want to charge foreigners more but we should give recognition to MyKad holders as it is our garden afterall,” she said.
Meanwhile, upon completion of the funicular train project, users will see two new Swiss-made air-conditioned coaches that can carry 50 people each, with commuting time of 10 minutes for one-way.
Under the new system, commuters can reach the hilltop in a single ride, instead of changing trains at the middle station.
It will also be more user-friendly for the elderly, disabled and children.
Source: Bernama