PenangHillFunicular:Full Upgrade?

[GWR]

As posted by Ric Francis himself on:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=19712&postcount=40

A whole webpage of wonderful photographic outtakes from this book on the website of RapidPenang - the city's new bus service:
http://www.rapidpg.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=58

http://www.rapidpg.com.my/images/memorylane/cover.jpg


Friday April 18, 2008
Discounts for hill rail commuters
By ANDREA FILMER

THE Penang Hill funicular railway train is up and running and regular passengers who were inconvenienced by the recent breakdown are in for a treat – they will get 20% off their monthly passes next month.

As a conciliatory gesture to the public, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the discounts, offered only for May, would be rounded down to even figures for easy calculation.

“The discounts are available to those who hold monthly passes for this month.
Lim checking the pulley in the engine room. With him are Shahhawai (left) and state Public Works, Utilities and Transportation committee chairman Lim Hock Seng.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/4/18/north/train.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Lim checking the pulley in the engine room. With him are Shahhawai (left) and state Public Works, Utilities and Transportation committee chairman Lim Hock Seng.]

“Monthly passes for May from the bottom station to the hilltop station will be priced at RM20 for adults (from RM26) and RM10 for children (from RM13), while tickets from the bottom station to the middle station and middle station to the hilltop station will be priced at RM11 for adults (from RM14) and RM5.50 for children (from RM7),” Lim told a press conference yesterday after a ride up the middle station.

Lim said the decision to give discounts for regular users was made after repair works could not be made on the day of the breakdown.

“The breakdown occurred around mid-day on Tuesday when two cables were dislodged from the pulley in the engine room.

“We had hoped to get the train running again before the day was out but unfortunately, repairs took longer than we expected and the train service only resumed at 6.30pm on Wednesday,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/4/18/north/train2.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Lim (right) about to try out the funicular train.]

Asked to elaborate on the breakdown, State Public Works Department (JKR) director Shahawai Awang said the rapid movement of the engine’s motor caused the cables to jump the wheel.

“To be honest, it was the first time this sort of thing had happened and we needed some time to find the best way to pull the cables back to the pulley,” said Shahawai, who was present at the press conference held at the base of the funicular train.

He added that the train had a mechanism that held the coaches firm to the tracks in cases of emergency.

However, the tautness of the cables made it difficult to pull them back onto the wheel.

Lim said about RM1,500 was lost in ticket sales as a result of the breakdown.
Back to normal: The train service not only resumed at 6.30pm on Wednesday as repairs took longer than expected.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/4/18/north/train3.jpg
[Photo: The Star - Back to normal: The train service not only resumed at 6.30pm on Wednesday as repairs took longer than expected.]

He said a permanent technician would soon be stationed at the train station to deal with future emergencies.

“We are also looking into repairing some faulty fans and speakers in the coaches,” he said.

On a related matter, Lim said the state government hoped upgrading works to the train system which had been approved under the Ninth Malaysia Plan would not jeopardise the environment around the tracks.

He said the Federal Government approved RM40mil last year to upgrade the cables, engine rooms, coaches and also to replace some of the tracks.

Lim said the Federal Government would also award the tender for the project.

Shahawai said there had been previous proposals to do away with the middle station, which would require earthworks to be done.

However, no plans had yet been confirmed, he said.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/4/18/north/20988497&sec=North

[GWR]

See also previous post on an earlier breakdown.

Breakdown at hill rail again

GEORGE TOWN: Lightning struck the Penang Hill funicular railway's engine room and temporarily disrupted services causing 102 passengers to be stranded for almost four hours on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary Ng Wei Aik said in the 6.50pm incident, a capacitor at the upper train station was burnt.

Thirty-two passengers were stranded at the hilltop while 45 others were caught midway while taking the train up and another 25 on their way down.

Ng said an operation was mounted to help the passengers but was hindered by heavy rain.

"We only managed to get things going after 8pm when the thunderstorm stopped."
Ng said the passengers were taken down in four-wheel-drive vehicles by 10.30pm.

The train service resumed at 12.30pm yesterday.

It was the second time this month the train service had been disrupted.

On April 15, 150 people were stranded at the hill for several hours following a breakdown of the service.

The incident was due to cable problems in the engine room which was rectified 30 hours later.

After the first incident, the chief minister lamented that the breakdown had wide repercussions as it not only inconvenienced passengers but also affected Penang's image.

He had said that the state government would instruct the Penang Hill Funicular Railway Authority to upgrade its services.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2223025/Article/index_html

[GWR]

See also NEW thread on the "Return of Trams to Georgetown":
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=20725#post20725

See also previous post on an earlier breakdown.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2223025/Article/index_html

Sunday May 11, 2008
Hill railway to close for two days

PENANG: The Penang Hill railway will be temporarily closed to the public for maintenance works on Tuesday and Wednesday

Penang Hill railway services manager Mohammad Rejab Saaban said services would resume as usual on Thursday. For details, call the railway station at 04-8274490.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/5/11/north/21218031&sec=North

[GWR]

Monday May 19, 2008
Ministry releases funds
By CHRISTINA CHIN

THE upgrading of the Penang Hill funicular train service is expected to start soon.

State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang said yesterday that the state recently received a “small portion” of the Tourism Ministry’s RM40mil pledge to upgrade the service, which started in 1923.

“I do not want to specify how much we have received. Suffice to say that Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has promised to honour the Federal Government’s pledge and the funds will be released to the state in stages.

“We are currently trying to iron out some technical problems before upgrading work can commence.

“We expect to start work in a few months,’’ he told reporters at his office.

He said it would take about a year to upgrade the service, adding that although train service would have to be stopped during the time, alternative transportation such as regular jeep rides for visitors to get to the top of the hill would be provided.

Law explained that after the upgrading, passengers would enjoy a “non-stop” ride straight up to the hill's summit instead of stopping halfway to change trains.

“Now it takes about 20 minutes to get to the top. Once up-grading is completed, it will only take 15 minutes,” he said.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/5/19/north/21293888&sec=North

[GWR]

Monday June 30, 2008
Penang seeks rest of promised funds

GEORGE TOWN: Will Penang get all of the RM40mil it had been allocated for the upgrading of the Penang Hill funicular train service under the Ninth Malaysian Plan?

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he had heard talk that the allocation had been withdrawn and condemned the move, saying that it was “in line with former actions (of the Federal Government)”, referring to the shelved monorail project and Penang Outer Ring Road.

“The Federal Government seems to have washed its hands of the funicular train service. This is not the right way to do things,” Lim told a press conference after launching the Penang Hepatitis Day at Queensbay Mall here.

He said there had been no word on when the funds would be released but was still hoping for the allocation so repair works for the service, which was halted last Wednesday, can go on.

He said the funds had been promised under the Ninth Malaysian Plan to change the tracks and cables. It was reported in May that the state government had received an undisclosed “small portion” of the allocation.

He added that the state government would try to coordinate things with the Federal Government.

The train service was halted after defects were found on the cable between the middle and upper stations.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/30/nation/21695141&sec=nation

There's also a Penang Hill Cable Car Project in the offing:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3444

[GWR]

Tuesday July 8, 2008
RM2m cables for railway

The Penang Government will spend RM2mil to replace the defective cables of the Penang Hill funicular railway.

State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said new cables would be ordered from Switzerland.

“It will take only 10 days to change the cables but we will need to wait four months before the train is back in service again,” he said.

Lim explained that the state needed to sign a contract with the contractor and get the cables shipped to Penang before the cable replacement works could take place.

“All this will take about three months. Then, we need about a month for the service to resume,” he said.

The train service was grounded last month for maintenance works after Public Works Depart-ment (JKR) engineers found defects in the cables connecting the bottom station to the middle station and the middle station to the hilltop station.

When contacted, the Chief Minister’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik said the state was considering a proposal to introduce either a jeep or four-wheel-drive service to transport residents and tourists up the hill in the meantime.

Currently the daily four-wheel-drive service only caters for residents free of charge.

“As the road leading up to Penang Hill is not gazetted, we cannot provide the service to tourists or other members of the public. We also do not allow them to drive their own vehicles as the passage is unsafe and we cannot guarantee their safety,” he said.

State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law said permit extension for JKR to provide transport for residents and tourists to go up the hilltop could be considered.

“The disruption in the train’s service has affected Penang Hill’s tourism industry. Those operating businesses there are feeling the heat because less tourists are going there,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/7/8/north/21761118&sec=North

[GWR]

July 19, 2008 16:30 PM
Bukit Bendera Train Upgrade Under 9MP - Nor Mohamed

BUTTERWORTH, July 19 (Bernama) -- The Bukit Bendera train upgrading work costing RM40 million will be implemented under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had agreed for the project which was dropped during the 9MP Mid-Term Review, to be reinstated.

"It shows the government is always concerned especially when the Bukit Bendera train is part of the state's valuable heritage," he told reporters after launching the Penang Sentral temporary transportation terminal here Saturday.

He said the Bukit Bendera train left lots of nostalgia to people and among them were former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"According to Tun Mahathir, when he was small, his father often took him on board the Bukit Bendera train," he said.

Nor Mohamed said the Penang government had appealed to the prime minister for the project to be reconsidered after it was dropped from the list of 9MP projects during the mid-term review.

"Three days ago, I met the prime minister for the project to be reinstated under the 9MP and he agreed," he said.

He said the Bukit Bendera train service which has become a tourist attraction, had to be upgraded because of the frequent disruption off late.

On the Penang government's appeal for the Penang Outer Ring Road and monorail projects to continue, he said: "No comment. The projects are not on the 9MP implementation list at the moment. Any review has to be made by the prime minister and the Cabinet."

-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/

See also thread on proposals for the return of trams to Georgetown:

http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3581