THE Penang Hill cable car is beginning to take shape above ground, with its towers now visible after months of foundation work.
The project has reached 32% completion as construction moves into its vertical phase.
Hartasuma Group executive director Tan Sri Ravindran Menon said completion of the underground foundation works marked a major shift in construction.
The ropeway system itself is 43% complete, while the Turn Station has reached 38.5%, with structural works under way and preparations being made for installation of the cable car system.
Ravindran said work within the Penang Hill Unesco Biosphere Reserve required careful planning and execution to minimise the project’s environmental impact.
“Responsible development within a Unesco Biosphere Reserve requires careful implementation with a low environmental impact.
“Precision and quality in execution remain a priority without any compromise.
“The project is on the right track and progressing as it should for this phase,” he said.
Physical construction is targeted for completion by August next year, with commercial operations expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow recently tightened the final bolt of Tower One at the Garden Station during a visit to inspect work on the project.
He was joined by state leaders and representatives from Hartasuma and Penang Hill Corporation during the Aug 21 visit.
Chow said the project had entered a more visible stage following completion of the underground works.
“This is a project that Penangites have eagerly anticipated since work at the site began in January 2025.
“We can now see that all the underground works have been completed and the project has entered the construction phase,” he said.
He said progress was expected to accelerate as more above-ground structures took shape.
The cable car will run 2.73km from the Penang Botanic Gardens area to the summit of Penang Hill, climbing about 800m during a journey of about 10 minutes.
The completed system will have 46 gondolas travelling along an alignment supported by 15 towers.
Its infrastructure comprises four main nodes – the Commercial Plaza, Garden Station, Turn Station and Hill Station.
The system is designed to carry up to 1,400 passengers per hour in each direction.
It will complement the existing Penang Hill funicular railway by providing another means of reaching the hilltop, particularly when the funicular is closed for scheduled maintenance.
The cable car is being developed under a concession by Hartasuma Ropeways Sdn Bhd, the project’s master developer and concessionaire.
The project has secured a RM367.2mil financing facility for its development.
The cable car is intended to provide another transport option for Penang Hill as rising visitor numbers place increasing demand on the century-old funicular railway.
