Post by gondola-project

Image by Transport for London

London, England is home to a wide variety of world famous landmarks. Many destinations such as Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben clock tower are steeped with incredible historical significance. Other attractions, however, add their own modern flair and character to the city. This includes the popular Emirates Air Line cable car.

In 2012, the Big Smoke was at the centre of the sporting universe. Fans and athletes of all nationalities arrived at the British capital to experience the Games of the XXX Olympiad. This presented a perfect opportunity for the city to launch the cable car attraction.

Image by flickr user clive darra.

Transport for London (TfL) partnered with Emirates to construct the United Kingdom’s first urban gondola. The cable car was completed in less than a year, just in time for opening of the Games on June 28^th, 2012. The cable car built by Doppelmayr is an MDG (monocable detachable gondola) system that is situated in the Royal Borough of Greenwich – located on the eastern side of the city. This area contains many exciting tourists attractions such as the Cutty Sark and local history spots like the National Maritime Museum.

The Emirates Air Line transports passengers roughly 1 kilometer across the Thames River at a maximum height of 90 meters between its two stations: the Royal Docks, and the Greenwich Peninsula. From the Royal Docks, passengers can visit Newham City Farm, the Museum of London Docklands, and the ExCeL convention center. The Greenwich Peninsula is a 5-minute walk from the O2 Arena and North Greenwich subway station.

A one-way trip over the Thames River takes approximately 10 minutes; however, after 7 p.m., the run extends to around 13 minutes allowing passengers to indulge in the breathtaking views of Canary Wharf and the London skyline. The system attract over 1.5 million passengers per year and is one of the few, if not only transport line in London which generates a profit.