Penang Monorail

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The Penang Monorail is a proposed monorail line to be constructed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan and Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). It will be located on Penang Island. Two lines will be built, with possible extensions to Seberang Perai in the future. The 37 km system is expected to cost RM 1.6 billion. [1] After the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the project has been postponed indefinitely, which generated mixed reactions from NGOs, and politicians. [2]

The Ninth Malaysian Plan, abbreviated as '9MP', is a comprehensive blueprint prepared by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department and the Finance Ministry of Malaysia with approval by the Cabinet of Malaysia. The plan allocates the national budget from 2006 to 2010 in regard to all economic sectors in Malaysia.

Northern Corridor Economic Region Economic corridor in Malaysia

The Northern Corridor Economic Region is a development plan encompassing the four northwestern states of Malaysia, namely Perlis, Penang, Kedah and Perak. It was launched in 2007 by the federal government with an aim to transform the region into a sustainable and socio-economically balanced region by 2025. The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) is the statutory body responsible to establishing the NCER's direction, policies and strategies.

Penang State of Malaysia

Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. The second smallest Malaysian state by land mass, Penang is bordered by Kedah to the north and the east, and Perak to the south. Currently, Penang is home to Southeast Asia's Longest bridge connecting the island to mainland.

Contents

Stations

The names of all the stations on the monorail are still mostly unknown, although the main stops are confirmed. The Red Line will run between Tanjung Tokong and the Penang International Airport via Scotland Road, Jalan Air Itam and the Penang State Mosque. The Green Lane will run between Paya Terubong and Weld Quay Terminal, via Jalan Air Itam, Jalan Dato' Keramat, and Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Komtar). The interchange will be situated at Jalan Air Itam.

Tanjung Tokong Suburb of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Tanjung Tokong is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located along the northeastern coast of Penang Island, next to Pulau Tikus and 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the city centre. Over the recent decades, the former fishing village has been transformed into an upper class residential suburb of George Town, with high-rises such as Straits Quay lining the coast.

Penang International Airport International airport in Penang, Malaysia

Penang International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Malaysia. The airport is located near Bayan Lepas at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, 16 km (9.9 mi) south of the city centre. Previously known as the Bayan Lepas International Airport, it was opened in 1935, making it the oldest airport in the country.

Air Itam Suburb of George Town in Northeast Penang Island, Penang, Malaysia

Air Itam is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Nested within the central valleys of Penang Island, it is located approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of the city centre. Air Itam is one of the well-known places to sample Penang cuisine, and includes a handful of major tourist attractions such as Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple.

Project Status

Bidding Phase

The tender for the Project has been closed since 16 November 2007. Some of the contenders for the project were Melewar Industrial Group Bhd (MIG) and Putera Capital Bhd. [1]

On 10 January 2008, the government announced the winner of the tender, which is a consortium led by Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) The members of the consortium includes Scomi Engineering Bhd and Penang Port Commission. According to The Edge, a Malaysian business newspaper, Malaysian Resources Corporation will build the monorail infrastructure, while Scomi Engineering will provide consultant expertise in building the infrastructure and Penang Port Commission have the land on to which the main hub will operate. The tender cost is expected to be at MYR 1.6 billion. MRCB also operated a joint venture with Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Bhd to build the inter-modal transportation hub called Penang Sentral. [3] The Letter of Intent was awarded to MRCB and Penang Port by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd on 15 January 2008, although the final solution of the lines and stations is not out yet. [4]

MRCB

Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad is a construction and property development company based in Kuala Lumpur. It is the master developer of the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transport hub and business district.

<i>The Edge</i> (Malaysia) newspaper in Malaysia

The Edge Media Group is the publisher of leading business and financial publications in Malaysia and Singapore. Its portfolio includes:

Malaysian ringgit currency of Malaysia

The Malaysian ringgit is the currency of Malaysia. It is divided into 100 sen (cents). The ringgit is issued by the Bank Negara Malaysia.

Re-bidding by Other Parties

On April 2008, Melawar Industrial Group proposed to the opposition led state government an MYR 2.2 billion railway solution which operate on a single line and run on three different loops from locations like Gelugor, Farlim in Air Itam and Gurney Drive into the city. The system will feature steel structures and will run near the state's heritage buildings. In response, the state government will consider such proposal and may carry out the project by themselves instead of waiting for the federal government. [5]

First phase

The first phase line will connect Bayan Lepas to George Town (Downtown Line)

Bayan Lepas Town in Penang, Malaysia

Bayan Lepas is a town within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is located within the Southwest Penang Island District, near the southeastern tip of Penang Island. Founded in the 19th century, Bayan Lepas is now home to the Penang International Airport and an eponymous Free Industrial Zone, dubbed the Silicon Valley of the East due to its size. Various multinational electronic and engineering firms, including Bosch, Motorola, Dell, Intel and Hewlett-Packard, have set up factories and assembly plants within the town.

George Town, Penang Capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang

George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang, is located at the north-eastern tip of Penang Island. It is Malaysia's second largest city, with 708,127 inhabitants as of 2010, while Greater Penang is the nation's second biggest conurbation with a population of 2,412,616. The historical core of George Town has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.

Post-postponement

After the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, which was tabled in Parliament on June 26, 2008, the monorail project, along with the Penang Outer Ring Road has been postponed indefinitely. [2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Melewar, Putera Capital bid for Penang monorail project
  2. 1 2 Sharanjit Singh (2008-06-28). "Penang's monorail and PORR projects: Not all dismayed by move". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2008-06-28. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  3. ↑ MRCB lands monorail job
  4. ↑ MRCB/Penang Port group gets monorail LOI
  5. ↑ Sharanjit Singh and Marina Emmanuel. "Penang mulls monorail option". Business Times. Archived from the original on 2008-04-30.

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