（槟城21日讯）在大年初八晚上9时15分，升旗山第二代单轨缆车提供“尾班车”服务后，将关闭10个月进行缆车系统提升工程。
为了让公众、游客、当地居民及商家能提早享用第3代缆车服务，槟州首长林冠英在见证“尾班车”服务仪式时，不忘要求公共建筑物工程分行第二局长拿汀阿兹赞，将工程竣工期间提早1个月，即8月28日竣工。
林冠英表示828是吉日，华人喜欢“8”（谐音“发”）的发音，希望可获得好意头。林冠英说，为期6个月升旗山缆车系统提升工程，将从周日起至9月28日，而工程于去年10月28日获批，这是州政府和中央政府合作的工程。
“在工程竣工后，每趟缆车可载送的乘客从60人提升至100人，而每趟缆车载送时间也从原本30分钟减少至15分钟或最快5分钟。”
他说，以往原本需4辆缆车提供服务，不过在缆车系统提升工程结束后，只需2辆缆车即可直接乘搭至山顶，不需在半途更换缆车。他提及，新缆车每小时预料可载送1000名游客，若在佳节期间，缆车预料将提供服务18小时，即从早上6时至午夜12时。
“若以每小时1000名游客计算，每天预料将有1万8000名游客到升旗山观光。虽然提升工程进行时，小贩及居民会受影响，不过工程结束后，游客数量料将为小贩带来生机。”
至于多层停车场工程，他也预料将于今年结束，在这计划中，旅游巴士将与观光车辆分别停放。此外，槟州行政议员林峰成说，州政府将提供5辆吉普车与当地居民以方便上下山，同时当地居协也提供20辆吉普车为载送游客作用。
针对收费详情，他说这一切将会依情况调整，目前暂定1辆车收费为60-70令吉，也不排除以人头计算收费。
工程料在9月28竣工
针对林冠英要求工程能提早一个月竣工，阿兹赞指是不可能的事，因为缆车系统提升工程原定在2011年结束，而现在已经将工程提前至今年9月28日竣工，因此无法将工程提前一个月完成。
同时，针对林冠英希望将原本2辆缆车增加至3辆的要求，工程顾问陈瑞欣接受媒体访问时表示，这是不可能的事情，因为缆车轨道是一上一下，而目前的计划也足以应付游客数量。若要增加缆车数量，那么就必须更改缆车系统，那或许是多年以后的事。
此外，升旗山上26个小贩摊格业者也移交备忘录予林冠英，希望州政府能在未来的7-10个月内给予金钱上的援助，以及豁免摊格执照费用。
GEORGE TOWN: Penangites pass-ed on catching a last glimpse of Penang Hill’s funicular trains as the four iconic red coaches made their last runs to the hilltop.
The funicular runway that was completed in 1923 will cease operations today for at least seven months to make way for a RM63mil upgraded system.
A check by The Star at the ticket counter in the lower station showed that no more than the normal number of visitors had decided to ride the funicular trains yesterday, with the counter clocking in about 1,000 visitors at 2pm.
Even though there was no last- minute rush to the hill, a large number of visitors were still seen at the state’s most popular attraction throughout the day, the majority of them being foreigners or other local tourists.
“We just arrived in Penang 24 hours ago and we had seen on the Internet that this would be the last day to experience the funicular train,” said communications consultant Judith Sullivan, 64, an American.
Husband Steve Staton, also 64, said they had done their research before arriving in the country and were looking forward to seeing the monkeys, hiking trails and other attractions on the hill.
Retired rubber tapper Lim Poh Lai, 73, was seen making her second trip up the hill after 55 years.
“My first trip was when I was 18 years old. I came with three friends on a visit to the state,” said Lim, who hails from Johor.
She said being back in Penang at the time the funicular train was making its last run was purely a lucky coincidence.
“I just happened to be in the state for a holiday. I feel very lucky to be able to make one last trip on the train before it ceases operation,” she said.
Meanwhile, a check at the middle station revealed that work has already begun to clear a wider space for the new track.
Funicular train officers on the scene said the work, which has so far been done manually, started about three months ago.
In the upgrading project undertaken by the Tourism Ministry, visitors will no longer need to get off at the middle station as the new, spacious and air-conditioned coaches will take passengers non-stop to the hilltop.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who boarded the last train ride at 8.30pm last night together with state executive councillors, oversaw a closing ceremony of the present train which ran for 87 consecutive years.
He paid tribute to the Federal Government for allocating RM63mil to upgrade the Penang Hill rail service, saying this injection of funds would spark a revival of the hill as the state’s premier tourist attraction.
The new train system’s commuting time is only between five and 10 minutes, compared to the 30 minutes via the old service.
Lim also said that the contractor would preserve historic elements of the present track such as the tunnel and bridge, while the train could carry up to 18,000 passengers daily.
He added that the state would embark on a major cleanliness campaign atop the landmark before the new train service commences.
Lim also spoke on the need to conserve as many heritage buildings as possible on the hill, considering that Penang is enjoying an international heritage status as proclaimed by Unesco
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