Work on Penang cable car to begin in June
The Penang Hill cable car project is set to break ground in June and promises to elevate the tourist experience for the region, following the signing of a contract on Thursday.
Hartasuma Sdn Bhd, a leading homegrown pioneer in the local rail industry with almost 30 years’ experience, formally entered into a contract with Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, a global market leader in ropeway engineering, for the much-anticipated Penang Hill cable car project.
In 2002, Dopplemayr had merged with Garaventa, which is also the manufacturer of the Penang Hill funicular system, to form the Dopplemayr/Garaventa Group.
The signing ceremony took place at Doppelmayr’s headquarters in Wolfurt, Austria, on Thursday between Michael Doppelmayr, chairman of the board of directors of Doppelmayr Holding SE, and Tan Sri Ravindran Menon, group executive director of Hartasuma Sdn Bhd.
Witnessing the signing ceremony were key members of the Penang delegation, including state Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, state Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai and other delegates.
The delegates also made technical visits to Doppelmayr, Garaventa and major component suppliers for the cable car system.
The cable car project was successfully awarded to Hartasuma through a public-private partnership on a design, finance, build, operate and transfer basis, as announced on Dec 14, 2022, with Doppelmayr providing the cable car system.
“The Penang government is pleased with the milestones achieved and looks forward to the groundbreaking soon.
“This project will not only create another iconic tourist attraction and spur more economic activities, but also resolve many of the challenges confronting the funicular system and the Penang Botanic Gardens area,” said Zairil, who is also the co-chairman of the cable car project steering committee.
Ravindran said the company shared congenial aspirations with the Penang government to create meaningful and distinctive tourism destinations.
“We also continue to reiterate our steadfast commitment towards the preservation of Penang Hill’s ecological environment and complete the cable car project on time,” he said.
The signing ceremony is a significant milestone for Penang, marking the first cable car in a biosphere reserve in the country.
With the combined expertise of Hartasuma, Doppelmayr, the state government and Penang Hill Corporation, the cable car project is poised to become a popular landmark for the region.
The Doppelmayr Group has built more than 86 cable car installations at national parks around the world.
Its cable car systems are widely recognised for their reliability, safety and cutting-edge technology.