GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Hill railway service was interrupted for three hours between 6am and 9am today.
Penang Hill Corporation general manager Dr Lawrence Khoo said the lightning had struck its railway line amid heavy rain today.
He said this in turn had caused the fuse installed at the electrical switchbox to cut off its power supply to the railway.
“We suspended the service to check if any damages were done on the railway track.
"Our team inspected the extent of lighting strike and found no physical structural damage to the track. The operation resumed about 9am,” Khoo said.
Fortunately, no one was stranded at the ground and hill stations.
The daily train service starts at 6.30am and ends at 10pm or 11pm.
The Penang Hill railway was upgraded in 2011 to replace the old carts which had been in service for 89 years.
The incident today was the first interruption this year.
In 2012, over 1,000 visitors were stranded on the hill and had to delay their departure from the popular tourist attraction due to the train service disruption.