{{Short description|Gondola lift in George Town, Penang, Malaysia}} {{Infobox aerial lift line | line_name = Penang Hill Cable Car | image = | image_size = | pushpin_map = Malaysia Penang George Town city centre | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = Location within George Town | status = Under construction | system = [[Gondola lift]] | location = [[George Town, Penang|George Town]] | country = Malaysia | coordinates = {{coord|5|26|11|N|100|17|28|E|region:MY|display=inline,title}} | start = Penang Rifle Club | end = [[Penang Hill]] | no_stations = 3 | services = 1 | built_by = | constr_cost = RM245 million (US${{To USD|245|MYS|year=2021}} million) | begin = June 2024 | open = | website = | owner = Penang Hill Corporation | operator = Hartasuma Sdn Bhd | no_carriers = 50 | carrier_cap = 8 | ridership = 1,000 per hour (design) | operating_times = | trips_daily = | headway = | trip_duration = 10 minutes | fare = | lift_type = | manufactured_by = [[Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group]] | line_length = {{cvt|2.73|km}} | no_towers = 15 | no_cables = | cable_diameter = | inst_power = | speed = {{cvt|6|m/s}} (design) }}
The '''Penang Hill cable car''' is a [[gondola lift]] under construction in [[George Town, Penang|George Town]], the capital city of the [[States and federal territories of Malaysia|Malaysian state]] of [[Penang]]. The {{cvt|2.73|km|adj=on}} 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 1,400 passengers per hour on each direction. Construction commenced in 2024 and is projected to be completed by 2027.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nambiar |first=Predeep |date=2026-04-05 |title=Penang Hill cable car project now 28% complete, says Chow |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/04/05/penang-hill-cable-car-project-now-28-complete-says-chow |access-date=2026-05-30 |website=Free Malaysia Today {{!}} FMT |language=en}}</ref>
== History == A cable car system complementing the existing [[Penang Hill Railway]] was first announced by then [[Minister of Finance (Malaysia)|Malaysian Minister of Finance]] [[Lim Guan Eng]] in 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Nambiar |first=Predeep |date=16 Oct 2019 |title=Penang mulls Botanic Gardens-Penang Hill cable car project |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/10/16/penang-mulls-botanic-gardens-penang-hill-cable-car-project/ |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[Free Malaysia Today]] |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092346/https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/10/16/penang-mulls-botanic-gardens-penang-hill-cable-car-project/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=11 Oct 2019 |title=RM100m cable car allocation will spur Penang's tourism sector, says Penang Hill Corporation |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/10/11/rm100m-cable-car-allocation-will-spur-penangs-tourism-sector-says-penang-hi/1799483 |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[Malay Mail]] |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092324/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/10/11/rm100m-cable-car-allocation-will-spur-penangs-tourism-sector-says-penang-hi/1799483 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Nambiar |first=Predeep |date=3 Feb 2024 |title=RM245mil Penang cable car project gets EIA approval |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/02/03/rm245mil-penang-cable-car-project-gets-eia-approval/ |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[Free Malaysia Today]] |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092327/https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/02/03/rm245mil-penang-cable-car-project-gets-eia-approval/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Government of Malaysia|federal government]] allocated RM100 million for the cable car project in the 2020 budget, with additional costs to be borne by the [[Government of Penang|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]].<ref name=":0" />
[[2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis|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.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Nasir |first=Sofia |date=11 Jan 2021 |title=State opens RFP for RM150 mil Penang Hill cable car project |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/13333/state-opens-rfp-for-rm150-mil-penang-hill-cable-car-project |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=The Vibes |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092346/https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/13333/state-opens-rfp-for-rm150-mil-penang-hill-cable-car-project |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite this, in 2021, the [[Chief Minister of Penang|state's Chief Minister]] [[Chow Kon Yeow]] announced a [[request for proposal]] for the project, citing "tremendous" public support.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Teoh |first=Jie Ying |date=11 Jan 2021 |title=Public supports RM150 mil Penang Hill cable car project, says Chow |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/01/11/public-supports-rm150-mil-penang-hill-cable-car-project-says-chow/ |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[Free Malaysia Today]] |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092344/https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/01/11/public-supports-rm150-mil-penang-hill-cable-car-project-says-chow/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=14 Dec 2022 |title=Press Statement by the Chief Minister of Penang YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow: Penang Hill Cable Car Project Request for Proposal (RFP) Awarded |url=https://corporate.penanghill.gov.my/images/images/Press_Release/2022/ENG_-_PENANG_HILL_CABLE_CAR_PROJECT_-_REQUEST_FOR_PROPOSAL_RFP_AWARDED.pdf |journal=[[Penang Hill Corporation]] |access-date=19 April 2024 |archive-date=16 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216204911/https://corporate.penanghill.gov.my/images/images/Press_Release/2022/ENG_-_PENANG_HILL_CABLE_CAR_PROJECT_-_REQUEST_FOR_PROPOSAL_RFP_AWARDED.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Trisha |first=N. |date=15 Dec 2022 |title=Penang Hill cable car project gets okay |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/12/15/cable-car-project-gets-okay |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] |archive-date=9 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309023800/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/12/15/cable-car-project-gets-okay |url-status=live }}</ref>
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.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=19 Mar 2024 |title=Penang Hill cable car not 'mass rapid transport', says PHC |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/03/19/penang-hill-cable-car-not-mass-rapid-transport-says-phc/ |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[Free Malaysia Today]] |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092323/https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/03/19/penang-hill-cable-car-not-mass-rapid-transport-says-phc/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=17 May 2023 |title=Penang Hill Corp expects to start construction of cable car project in Q2 2024 |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/17/penang-hill-corp-expects-to-start-construction-of-cable-car-project-in-q2-2024/69624 |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[Malay Mail]] |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092322/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/17/penang-hill-corp-expects-to-start-construction-of-cable-car-project-in-q2-2024/69624 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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]] [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves|Biosphere Reserve]] in 2021.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=June 2022 |title=Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve |url=https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/penang-hill |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206144838/https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/penang-hill |archive-date=6 December 2023 |access-date=13 November 2023 |website=[[UNESCO]] |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, Chief Minister Chow announced that the cable car infrastructure would be provided by [[Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=CONCESSION AGREEMENT SIGNING CEREMONY - DEVELOPMENT OF BUKIT BENDERA CABLE CAR SERVICE UNDER DESIGN, FINANCE, BUILD, OPERATE AND TRANSFER MODE |url=https://cm.penang.gov.my/index.php/en/all-stories/362641-concession-agreement-signing-ceremony-development-of-bukit-bendera-cable-car-service-under-design-finance-build-operate-and-transfer-mode |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |website=[[Chief Minister of Penang]] |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419092348/https://cm.penang.gov.my/index.php/en/all-stories/362641-concession-agreement-signing-ceremony-development-of-bukit-bendera-cable-car-service-under-design-finance-build-operate-and-transfer-mode |url-status=live }}</ref>
The cable car project received approval from federal government environmental regulators in 2024.<ref name=":1" /> [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Prime Minister]] [[Anwar Ibrahim]] presided over the groundbreaking ceremony in June that year. The cable car system is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2026.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 Jun 2024 |title=PM Anwar stresses cultural and environmental considerations for new Penang Hill cable car project |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/06/29/pm-anwar-stresses-cultural-and-environmental-considerations-for-new-penang-cable-car/142080 |access-date=2 Jul 2024 |work=[[Malay Mail]]}}</ref>
== Design == The cable car system is designed to cater to a capacity of 1,400 passengers per hour per direction, comprising 50 eight-seater carriages that travel at a speed of {{cvt|6|m/s}}.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Seraj |first=Zaf |date=9 Mar 2024 |title=Report: Penang Hill Corporation's RM245m cable car project will only affect about 50 trees, says GM |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/09/report-penang-hill-corporations-rm245m-cable-car-project-will-only-affect-about-50-trees-says-gm/122386 |access-date=19 Apr 2024 |work=[[Malay Mail]] |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324231122/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/09/report-penang-hill-corporations-rm245m-cable-car-project-will-only-affect-about-50-trees-says-gm/122386 |url-status=live }}</ref> Citing extensive experience in ropeway engineering within [[UNESCO]]-designated sites, [[Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group]] has been selected to provide the cable car infrastructure.<ref name=":5" /> The line will comprise three stations along its length – Taman, Geling Belokan and Bukit stations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Trisha |first=N. |date=30 Sep 2024 |title=Cable car project ahead of schedule |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/30/cable-car-project-ahead-of-schedule |access-date=30 Sep 2024 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]}}</ref>
The project will include the construction of 15 towers {{Ndash}} 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 [[Spathodea|African tulip]], [[Roystonea regia|royal palm]] and [[Elaeis|oil palm]] surrounding the lower end of the route.<ref name=":6" />
==See also== * [[Awana Skyway]] * [[Genting Skyway]] * [[Langkawi Cable Car]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Public transport in Penang}}
[[Category:Gondola lifts in Malaysia]] [[Category:Transport in Penang]]