Hill railway upgrade climbs to completion

Penang Hill Upper Station upgrading project (Phase Four) is expected to be ready before the Chinese New Year celebration next month.

Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said the project was now 95% complete.

Upon completion, he said the upper station could accommodate up to 700 visitors at a time.

For now, it can cater to 250 visitors.

Cheok said PHC was committed to ensuring that Penang Hill remained the preferred destination of choice in Malaysia.

“We strive to provide better comfort to our visitors on the hill.

The upper station has grown from one to two floors with expanded facilities, and will be able to accommodate up to 700 visitors at a time. — Photos: Buletin Mutiara

“We are working towards achieving the Green Building Index gold rating for this project.

“The new upper station will be equipped with more facilities to cater for seniors and disabled persons.

“We aspire for Penang Hill to evolve into an authentic family-friendly destination, inviting people to intimately connect with nature,” he told state publisher Buletin Mutiara.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the RM9.3mil project was held on March 20, 2021.

It includes the expansion of its current 800sq m (single floor) to 1,422sq m (two floors).

The endeavour also involves enhancing the waiting hall and facilities of the upper station.

The facilities encompass ticketing counter, escalators, lift, restrooms, dedicated mothers’ room, and a distinctive feature wall that pays homage to Arnold Robert Johnson (1879-1966), the engineer credited with designing the historic Penang Hill railway.

Visitors boarding the funicular train at the lower station.

Cheok said in addition to better facilities, the upper station would also be equipped with a smart queue management system for Penang Hill visitors.

“Through the e-boarding system, visitors will be assigned batch numbers and given the estimated time of boarding the funicular train.

“They can have a drink at David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terrace or Astaka Bukit Bendera as they wait.

“While awaiting their turn to board the funicular train back to the lower station, visitors can make the most of their time by exploring the hill’s attractions and enhancing their overall experience.

“A similar system is now being used at the lower station,” he said, adding that visitors could spend their time on the hill more productively.

Cheok said the main objective of the upgrading project was to enable visitors to have a better experience when they visited Penang Hill.

“PHC plays its role in finding innovative ways to enhance people’s experiences.

“We are also bringing businesses to our traders on the hill with our digital infrastructure,” he said.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow mentioned that developments on Penang Hill were in line with the fundamental guidelines stipulated in Penang Hill Special Area Plan 2016 and Penang Hill Special Area Plan (Substitution) 2020 to maintain the aesthetic value and natural attractions of the site.