A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of cable cars, urban gondolas, and cable propelled transit:
The Cabrio is the world's first open-air, double-decker cable car. Now you can ride up to the Stanserhorn on a sun deck.
- The Cabrio, Switzerland’s newest cable car, is the world’s first double-decker, open-air cable car. We’ve mentioned this system before (here and here and here) and I’m sure we will again in the very, very near future.
- Also, opening on the same day, the Emirates Air Line is now up and running. At the launch, London’s Mayor said: ‘Get on this cable car immediately. It’s beautiful, worth every penny and a stunning piece of engineering.’
- The private-sector sightseeing Sea to Sky Gondola project has been approved. The system will pass across the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park in British Columbia and could open as early as July 2013.
- 39 tourists were trapped in cable cars for 40 minutes in Xiamen, China most likely due to a rainstorm-triggered power failure.
- Approval for a cable car to the summit of Mt Wellington in the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is gaining traction among city council. The head campaigner for the project, Adrian Bold, has been actively pursuing the project for years. He even started a facebook campaign.
- A Drakensberg Cable Car could soon be part of KwaZulu-Natal’s uKhahlamba Drakensberg World Heritage Park, as a detailed feasibility study for the project will be underway shortly. Initial reports indicate the that the potential 3 km, 3-station system will include a summit station in Lesotho — 3x higher than the one on Table Mountain, also in South Africa.