My Trips: Funicular Train Station at Penang Hill, Ayer Itam

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Funicular Train Station at Penang Hill, Ayer Itam - Penang

Me and Lau went for the tickets booking on 12.30pm.
This Tourist Spot had been changed a lot! My last visit was 25 years ago....

The Penang Hill Funicular Train Station

The History of the Railway Station :-
* Construction of the railway took place between 1906 to 1923, at a cost of 1.5 million Straits dollars. The railway was opened to the public on October 21, 1923. The 2,007 m (1 mile 435 yard) journey takes about half an hour and the train may stop at intermediate stations upon request.

On the left, there is the Entrance of the Railway and also the ticket counter.

The Ticket Counter building. (Left after the main gate)

There are many Souvenirs shop on the right....

Souvenirs Shop on the right.

The queue was really Long when we were there...it's took us about 30 minutes to get our 5.00pm tickets. The timing was just right during that time, because others tickets was sold! We got our Last 4 tickets and the following ticket was 5.30pm onwards.

Ticket for the Funicular Train to Penang Hill :-
MYR4.00 for adults
MYR2.00 for children (Below 12 years old)

The train operating hours was from 7.00am to 11.15pm. Extend due to Festive Season, normally the last train is 10.00pm.

We have our rest at the coffee shop beside 1926 Heritage Hotel....and also fill up our stomach.
We started to to drive from the Hotel on 3.30pm. Because of the heavy traffic jam, we don't wanna miss the train. (The total journey from the Hotel to the Penang Hill Station is 7.4km)

The timing was just right when we reached. Everyone were anxiously waiting for the train...

The railway of the train.

After about 15 minutes waiting, the train finally arrived....(The interval was 15 minutes...)

And it's packed with peoples....looks like sardin!

The Control Cabin of the Train.

We choose the last cabin which you can enjoy the view from behind...

Do you think it's 'Creative' enough to hang the 2 table fans like this way?!!

Scenic view along the way....there's a staircase beside the railway, I don't think it's not for hiker....maybe it's maintenance.

The cable which is pulling the train and release on the other train...
The local called 'Cable Car' instead of Funicular Train...

The Famous Red Swiss made Funicular Train can carry up to 80 passengers per trip, and manufactured by Habegger Engineering Work on the year of 1977. (Empty weight : 7.5 tons)

It passed by many small station along the way....that are for those residents who stayed around the hill.

Claremont Station

We need to change to the other train in the middle of the journey. Every passengers were rushing to the other train during that time, while I took out my camera....they all already inside the other train...
Before it reach the peak, it went through one tunnel which is constructed many years ago. There's not enough time for me to capture the year that embossed on the wall.
The total journey took almost 30 minutes.