Brest Cable Car (Téléphérique de Brest). Image by Denelorn.
As the Brest Cable Car (Téléphérique de Brest) nears its first anniversary, its journey so far has been anything but smooth. A series of technical challenges — ranging from power outages on its maiden voyage to computer/operational failures — has plagued France’s first Cable Propelled Transit (CPT) system. With its slew of problems, critics have been quick denounce and mock the project.
This week, as if things couldn’t have gotten any worse, one of the system’s cabins was damaged when it fell several meters off a crane during its first annual maintenance program. Contrary to information spread on social media, the cabin did not detach from the cables.
Despite its problems, the cable car has transformed into a popular local attraction. And to the surprise of its many, ridership has already breached 550,000 passengers in 6.5 months (estimated to transport 675,000 per year). In fact, the system’s popularity was immediately apparent on its first day as a group of locals decided to dress up as skiers to celebrate the special ocassion.
According to the city’s tourism office, the aerial ropeway has become a must see attraction for visitors as it soars to heights of 80m. Reviews on TripAdvisor have praised the system’s for its pleasant ride, affordable prices and spectacular views. Overall, the system is now ranked the 7th most popular attraction in the City. The popularity of the Brest Cable Car amongst tourists is common for urban ropeways as other systems around the world have experienced a similar phenomenon. For instance, the aerial lifts in La Paz/El Alto, Medellin, and Portland are all ranked as a top 10 attraction in each respective city.
Unfortunately, riders will be face long wait times as a replacement cabin will not be ready for another 6-9 months. We will continue to monitor the system’s progress and provide any updates on the website and/or our Facebook page.