Editing Penang (section)

==Transportation==
{{Main|Transport in Penang}}
=== Land ===
[[File:View of Penang Bridge 2025.jpg|thumb|Middle span of the [[Penang Bridge]], with [[High-voltage direct current#Monopole|monopole]] [[Transmission tower|transmission towers]] in the background, {{Circa|2025}}.]]
{{See also|List of streets in George Town, Penang}}
[[Penang Island]] is physically connected to mainland [[Seberang Perai]] by two road bridges {{Endash}} the {{cvt|13.5|km||adj=on}} [[Penang Bridge]] and the {{cvt|24|km}} [[Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge|Second Penang Bridge]].<ref name="ICE-2023">{{Cite web |title=Penang Bridges |url=https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/penang-bridges |access-date=17 December 2023 |website=[[Institution of Civil Engineers]] }}</ref> Seberang Perai is accessible through the [[North–South Expressway (Malaysia)|North-South Expressway]], a {{cvt|966|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} expressway that stretches along the western part of [[Peninsular Malaysia]].<ref name=":3" /> Other major [[Toll road|toll routes]] in the state include the [[Butterworth Outer Ring Road]] (BORR) and the [[Butterworth–Kulim Expressway|Butterworth-Kulim Expressway]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2021 |title=Annual Report 2021 |url=https://www.llm.gov.my/documents/PublishDoc/pub_1689341195.pdf |journal=Highway Authority Malaysia }}</ref>

In addition, the [[Keretapi Tanah Melayu]] (KTM) [[KTM West Coast railway line|West Coast Line]] runs through Seberang Perai, with the [[Butterworth railway station]] serving as the principal terminal in northwestern Malaysia.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |date=Aug 1979 |title=Urban Transport Study in Greater Metropolitan Areas of George Town, Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia: Progress Report (Phase 1) |url=https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/10597219.pdf |journal=[[Japan International Cooperation Agency]]}}</ref> Aside from regular KTM services, Butterworth is also one of the main stops of the [[Eastern and Oriental Express|Eastern and Oriental Express service]] between [[Bangkok]] and [[Singapore]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cripps |first=Karla |date=14 July 2023 |title=Famed luxury train is returning to Southeast Asia with two new routes |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/eastern-and-oriental-express-belmond-singapore-malaysia/index.html |access-date=15 October 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> [[Penang Sentral]] is the main transit hub within Penang, located in close proximity to the [[Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal]] and the Butterworth railway station.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 October 2022 |title=Seamless public transportation at Penang Sentral soon |url=https://thesun.my/local_news/seamless-public-transportation-at-penang-sentral-soon-BE9969131 |access-date=17 December 2023 |work=[[The Sun (Malaysia)|The Sun]] }}</ref>

Excluding toll routes, Penang's road system covered a distance of {{Convert|6725.1|km|abbr=on}} {{As of|2023|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.jkr.gov.my/sites/default/files/upload/BUKU%20STATISTIK%20JALAN%20EDISI%202024_FINAL%20%281%29.pdf |title=Statistik Jalan Edisi 2024 |publisher=[[Malaysian Public Works Department]] |year=2024 |pages=151–227 |language=ms |trans-title=Road Statistics 2024 Edition}}</ref> Within George Town, the [[Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway]] is a coastal highway that runs along the city's eastern seaboard, connecting the [[Central George Town, Penang|city centre]] with the Penang Bridge, the [[Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone]] and the Second Penang Bridge.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=THE PROPOSED PAN ISLAND LINK 1 HIGHWAY PROJECT, PENANG |url=https://enviro2.doe.gov.my/ekmc/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/WSB-SRS-CHAPTER-10-PIL1-Rev05-STUDY-FINDINGS-19-4-18-SRS.pdf |journal=SRS Consortium }}</ref> The [[Malaysia Federal Route 6|Federal Route 6]] is a pan-island trunk road that circles the city, while the [[George Town Inner Ring Road]] serves as the main thoroughfare within the city centre.<ref name="jkr">{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Statistik Jalan (Edisi 2013) |date=2013 |publisher=[[Malaysian Public Works Department]] |location=Kuala Lumpur |pages=16–64 |issn=1985-9619 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mak Hoy Ken |first=Tan Ee Zhio |date=3 December 2014 |title=Penang Transport Master Plan: Convergence of Connectivity and Rising Land Values |url=http://cdn1.i3investor.com/my/files/dfgs88n/2014/12/03/1481920274--1115941318.pdf |journal=AmResearch }}</ref>

====Public transportation====
[[File:Funicular to the top of the Penang Hill, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.JPG|thumb|The [[Penang Hill Railway]], Malaysia's only funicular railway system, ascends slopes that are said to be the steepest in the world at an angle of 27.9°.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jeremy Tan |date=25 October 2023 |title=Funicular Railway is Penang's Symbol of Achievement |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/10/25/states-symbol-of-achievement |access-date=10 December 2023 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] }}</ref>]]{{See also|List of bus routes in Penang|Cycling in Penang Island|Trolleybuses in George Town, Penang}}
Under British rule, [[George Town, Penang|George Town]] was a pioneer in public transportation within [[British Malaya|Malaya]]. The city's first tram system, originally powered by steam, began operations in the 1880s, but the trams became obsolete by 1936.<ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Francis|2006|p=10 }}</ref><ref>{{Harvard citation no brackets|Francis|2006|p=39 }}</ref> The [[Cycle rickshaw|trishaw]] from the colonial era still plies the city's streets, catering primarily to tourists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Penang Institute's 'Back to Beca' Project out to Safeguard the Trade |url=https://penanginstitute.org/happenings/in-the-mass-media/862-penang-institute-s-back-to-beca-project-out-to-safeguard-the-trade/ |access-date=10 December 2023 |website=Penang Institute }}</ref>

[[Transit bus|Public buses]] form the backbone of public transportation in Penang. Established in 2007, [[Rapid Penang]] is the state's main public transport operator, with 47 active routes throughout the [[George Town Conurbation]] including interstate routes into the neighbouring towns of [[Sungai Petani]], [[Kulim District|Kulim]] and [[Kerian District|Kerian]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rapid Penang - Bus |url=https://myrapid.com.my/bus-train/rapid-penang/rapid-pg-bus/ |access-date=10 December 2023 |website=MyRapid |language=en-US }}</ref> Since 2024, Rapid Penang has introduced [[Demand-responsive transport|demand-responsive transport services]] within the state, utilising vans to address [[Last mile (transportation)|last mile connectivity]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=24 April 2025 |title=Rapid Penang Rolls Out On-Demand Vans in George Town, Jelutong and Bayan Lepas from This Saturday to Tackle Congestion |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/04/24/rapid-penang-rolls-out-on-demand-vans-in-george-town-jelutong-and-bayan-lepas-from-this-saturday-to-tackle-congestion/174320 |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=[[Malay Mail]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=McIntyre |first=Ian |date=19 August 2024 |title=Penang to Introduce E-Hailing Van Service to Ease Traffic Congestion |url=https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/103166/penang-to-introduce-e-hailing-van-service-to-ease-traffic-congestion |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=The Vibes}}</ref>

The only rail-based transportation system within Penang is the century-old [[Penang Hill Railway]], a funicular service to the peak of [[Penang Hill]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=[[Joshua Woo Sze Zeng]] |date=9 July 2020 |title=Exploring a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Framework for Penang's Urban Growth |url=https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Exploring-Transit-Oriented-Development-Framework-for-Penang.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Penang Institute |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227151848/https://penanginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Exploring-Transit-Oriented-Development-Framework-for-Penang.pdf |archive-date=27 December 2023 |access-date=27 December 2023 }}</ref> A [[Penang Hill cable car|cable car system is being constructed]] {{As of|2025|lc=y}} to reduce overreliance on the railway.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Lo |first=Tern Chern |date=31 December 2024 |title=Infrastructure Projects Shaping Penang's Future |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2024/12/31/infrastructure-projects-shaping-penangs-future |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]}}</ref> The [[Government of Penang|Penang state government]] has also planned to introduce [[Urban rail transit|urban rail]] throughout the state as part of the [[Penang Transport Master Plan]]. In 2024, the [[Government of Malaysia|Malaysian federal government]] assumed control of the [[Mutiara line|Mutiara LRT line]] from the state government. Spanning a distance of {{Convert|29.5|km|abbr=on}}, the line is the first domestic [[Light rail|light rail system]] outside the [[Klang Valley]], and will link the cities of George Town and [[Seberang Perai]].<ref name="The Sun-2024">{{Cite news |date=29 March 2024 |title=Loke: Federal Gov't Takes Over Penang LRT Mutiara Line Project from State Gov't |url=https://thesun.my/local_news/loke-federal-gov-t-takes-over-penang-lrt-mutiara-line-project-from-state-gov-t-JG12275905 |access-date=29 March 2024 |work=[[The Sun (Malaysia)|The Sun]] }}</ref> Construction commenced in 2025 and is expected to be complete by 2031.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hilmy |first=Imran |date=11 January 2025 |title=PM Anwar Officiates Penang's Mutiara Line LRT Project Groundbreaking Ceremony |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/01/11/pm-anwar-officiates-penang039s-mutiara-line-lrt-project-groundbreaking-ceremony |access-date=11 January 2025 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]}}</ref>

To promote urban mobility, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure throughout the state are also being upgraded.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=1 March 2018 |title=Penang Streetscapes to be More Pedestrian Friendly, Says Exco |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/03/01/penang-streetscapes-to-be-more-pedestrian-friendly-says-exco/1588225 |access-date=27 December 2023 |work=[[Malay Mail]] }}</ref><ref name="Chan-2017b">{{Cite news |last=Lilian Chan |date=8 February 2017 |title=Penang to be First Cycling State |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-to-be-first-cycling-state/ |work=Buletin Mutiara }}</ref> In 2016, George Town became the first city in Malaysia to operate a [[Bicycle-sharing system|public bicycle-sharing service]] with the inauguration of [[LinkBike]].<ref name="Chan-2017a">{{Cite news |last=Lilian Chan |date=8 February 2017 |title=Penang to be First Cycling State |url=https://www.buletinmutiara.com/penang-to-be-first-cycling-state/ |work=Buletin Mutiara }}</ref>
===Air===
[[File:Penang International Airport Dec2024.jpg|thumb|The [[Penang International Airport]] (PIA) has an annual capacity of 6.5 million passengers, but passenger traffic had already exceeded its capacity even before the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Annual Report 2022 |url=https://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/sites/corporate/files/2023-04/MAHB-ANNUAL-REPORT-2022.pdf |journal=[[Malaysia Airports]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jason Ng, Yimie Yong |date=2 July 2019 |title=Malaysia Airports Gets Finance Ministry Nod to Expand Penang Terminal |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Nikkei-Markets/Malaysia-Airports-gets-finance-ministry-nod-to-expand-Penang-terminal |access-date=15 December 2023 |work=[[Nikkei, Inc.]] }}</ref>]]
{{Main|Penang International Airport}}
The [[Penang International Airport]] (PIA) is located {{cvt|16|km}} south of [[Central George Town, Penang|downtown George Town]]. It serves as the main airport for northwestern Malaysia, with services to major regional cities such as [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Singapore]], [[Bangkok]], [[Taipei]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Xiamen]], [[Shanghai]], [[Doha]] and [[Dubai]].<ref name="Penang state govt-2021a">{{Cite journal |title=Penang Tourism Master Plan 2021-2030 |url=https://gtwhi.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Penang-Tourism-Master-Plan-2021-2030-Report.pdf |journal=[[Government of Penang|Penang state government]] |isbn=978-967-19661-0-5 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=4 January 2024 |title=Tourism Minister: China Eastern Airlines to Introduce Nanjing to Kuching, Kota Kinabalu Direct Flights Earliest June |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/01/04/tourism-minister-china-eastern-airlines-to-introduce-nanjing-to-kuching-kota-kinabalu-direct-flights-earliest-june/110687 |access-date=7 January 2024 |work=[[Malay Mail]] }}</ref> PIA is [[List of the busiest airports in Malaysia|Malaysia's second busiest airport]] for aircraft movements and recorded more than 7.6 million passengers in 2024.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="Ministry of Transport-2023a">{{Cite web |title=Statistic of Aviation Transport |url=https://www.mot.gov.my/en/aviation/reports/quarterly-statistics-of-transport |access-date=14 December 2023 |website=[[Ministry of Transport (Malaysia)|Ministry of Transport]] }}</ref> It is also the country's second busiest in terms of cargo tonnage and handles the [[List of Malaysian states and municipalities by exports#Exports by city and municipality|largest export volume of all entry points nationwide]].<ref name="Dept Statistics Malaysia-2023" /> {{As of|2025}}, the airport is being upgraded to raise its annual capacity from 6.5 million passengers to 12 million by 2028.<ref name=":0" />

===Sea===
[[File:Port of Penang, Seberang Perai 2024.jpg|thumb|The [[Port of Penang]] was declared a [[Free economic zone|Free Commercial Zone]] (FCZ) in 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2021 |title=Free commercial zone status a game changer for Penang Port |url=https://thesun.my/business/free-commercial-zone-status-a-game-changer-for-penang-port-GG7866844 |access-date=15 December 2023 |work=[[The Sun (Malaysia)|The Sun]] }}</ref>]]
Formerly a vital British [[entrepôt]], Penang's maritime trade has significantly declined due to the loss of [[George Town, Penang|George Town]]'s free-port status in 1969 and the concurrent development of [[Port Klang]] near the federal capital [[Kuala Lumpur]].<ref name="Goh-2014" /> Despite this, the [[Port of Penang]] remains the primary harbour for northwestern Malaysia and [[southern Thailand]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Aznam Shah |first=Shaheera |date=25 January 2018 |title=Penang Port taps southern Thailand's booming economy |url=https://www.mmc.com.my/250118%20-%20Penang%20Port%20taps%20southern%20Thailand's%20booming%20economy.pdf |access-date=10 December 2023 |work=The Malaysian Reserve }}</ref> It handled more than 1.4 million [[Twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEUs]] of cargo in 2024, the third highest among Malaysia's seaports.<ref name="GDP by state 2024" /><ref name=":1" />

[[Swettenham Pier]], situated within [[George Town Central Business District, Penang|downtown George Town]], accommodates cruise ships and is one of the major entry points into the city. In 2017, Swettenham Pier recorded 125 port calls, surpassing [[Port Klang]] as the busiest cruise shipping terminal in Malaysia.<ref name="The Sun-2017">{{Cite news |date=20 December 2017 |title=Swettenham Pier Surpasses Port Klang as Top Port of Call for Cruise Ships |url=https://thesun.my/archive/swettenham-pier-surpasses-port-klang-top-port-call-cruise-ships-BUARCH513414 |access-date=10 December 2023 |work=[[The Sun (Malaysia)|The Sun]] }}</ref> The pier has attracted some of the world's largest cruise liners, such as the ''[[Queen Mary 2]]'', and also sees occasional port visits by warships.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 February 2015 |title=Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal A World Cruise Destination for Queen Mary 2 |url=https://www.penangport.com.my/media-center/announcements/february-2015/swettenham-pier-cruise-terminal-a-world-cruise-des |access-date=27 December 2023 |website=[[Port of Penang]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=30 September 2005 |title=US Navy Ship Calls at Penang |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2005/09/30/us-navy-ship-calls-at-penang/ |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]] }}</ref>

The cross-strait [[Penang ferry service]] connects George Town and [[Seberang Perai]], and was formerly the only transportation link between the island city and the mainland until the completion of the [[Penang Bridge]] in 1985. At present, four ferries ply the [[Penang Strait]] between both cities daily.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Opalyn Mok |date=2 October 2024 |title=Final Voyage: Iconic Ferry 'Pulau Pinang' to Make Its Journey across Penang Strait Tomorrow, Set for Transformation into Museum |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/02/final-voyage-iconic-ferry-pulau-pinang-to-make-its-journey-across-penang-strait-tomorrow-set-for-transformation-into-museum/152338 |access-date=31 December 2024 |work=[[Malay Mail]]}}</ref>