After years of breakdowns and stranded tourists, Penang bid farewell to its rickety Victorian funicular railway today.

"It's sad that we have to call it a day for the old funicular but the two kilometres of tracks are very worn out and so are the coaches," state transportation committee head Lim Hock Seng told AFP .

"They all need replacing," he said.

Work on the inclined railway began in 1897 but took 26 years to complete, with its first coaches made of wood and steel. Its replacement is slated to be built in around seven months and will open in October.

Lim said that the railway has taken several million tourists to the summit of 830m high Penang hill in its 87-year existence.

However, equipment failure caused it to shut down for eight months in 2003 with sporadic closures after that due to a difficulty in finding spare parts for the old system.

The line was again opened in 2004 but less than a year later, tourists were trapped on the hill when a brake malfunctioned.

New railway to be built

Lim said the Tourism Ministry was spending over RM63 million to build a new system that will see air-conditioned coaches take passengers up the hill in 10 minutes compared to half an hour previously.

"The new system will also be a funicular but will hold 100 passengers instead of 60 people, and will have a lot more safety features," he added.

He said that the new railway would be able to stop at several new points in order to allow residents who live on Penang Hill to more easily access their vegetable farms and flower gardens that dot the area.

"It's not the same as the old funicular but it will still ensure that visitors and locals can all enjoy the beauty of Penang hill," Lim said.

- AFP

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