Since its founding in 1893, Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group has implemented 14,800 ropeways in 92 countries around the globe. Images from Doppelmayr.
Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group’s annual Worldwide publication is back.
The 2018 issue was released last week and features over ninety cable-propelled projects that were built by the world’s largest ropeway manufacturer.
Similar to its previous editions (e.g. 2016, 2017), cable transport enthusiasts will be delighted by the yearbook’s vivid photo spreads, descriptive summaries, and statistical profiles.
Some of this edition’s biggest highlights include not only the ever-growing number of urban gondola lines in La Paz, Bolivia, but also the record-breaking installations in Switzerland, Vietnam and Germany.
Worldwide 2018 documents an impressive array of ropeway projects and covers: six Funicular Railways; seven Reversible Aerial Tramways; two 3S Gondola Lifts; three Combination Lifts; twenty-two Detachable Gondola Lifts; twenty-five Detachable Chairlifts; fourteen Fixed-Grip Chairlifts; fourteen Surface Lifts; one Material Transport System; three Monoracks; and one CABLE Liner.
10-MGD Línea Naranja I & II
10-MGD Línea Naranja I & II. Image from Doppelmayr.
Línea Naranja (Orange Line) was inaugurated in September 2017 by Bolivian President, Evo Morales. The four station urban gondola has a capacity of 3,000 passengers per hour and was built in two sections (1,584m and 983m).
By connecting Línea Roja (Red Line) and Línea Blanca (White Line), Línea Naranja provides passengers with opportunities to transfer throughout the entire Mí Teleférico network. Plaza Villarroel, the ropeway’s eastern terminus, featured the world’s first gondola station designed beneath a public square.
This system marks the fifth urban gondola system that has opened as part of the world’s largest urban gondola network. La Paz/El Alto’s visionary urban gondola plans has inspired cities around the globe to explore how aerial ropeways can help solve urban transport challenges.
120-ATW Seilbahn Zugspitze
120-ATW Seilbahn Zugspitze. Image from Doppelmayr.
Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze, is home to a reversible aerial tramway which simultaneously set three new ropeway records — greatest vertical rise in one section (1,945m), the tallest lattice tower (127m) and the longest unsupported rope span (3,213m).
The Zugspitze tramway was designed with two 120 person cabins which travel at speeds of 10.6m/s. The resulting increase in line capacities mean that more visitors can now be shuttled to the winter and summer amenities located atop the mountain. On the way up, passengers are afforded with unrestricted views as the brand new cabins are designed with floor-to-roof glazing and heated anti-fog windows.
The new ropeway was built to replace the old Eibsee tramway (1963) which transported 21.3 million visitors over its fifty-four year lifespan.
2×168-FUL Arrêt Pfaffenthal–Kirchberg
2×168-FUL-Arrêt-Pfaffenthal–Kirchberg. Image from Doppelmayr.
Luxembourg’s first urban ropeway, the Affêt Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg funicular, demonstrates how public transit challenges can be solved effectively with cable-propelled solutions. The new system has four 168-person carriers which operates on two parallel, but independent rope loops (two carriers per loop).
At an overall capacity of 7,200 passengers per hour, riders are transported efficiently between the Pfaffenthal rail station and Kirchberg plateau. The funicular helps passengers overcome a vertical rise of 39m in order to ease transfers between two suburban trains.
To ensure quiet operations, a number of designs were included in the system such as low-noise pumps in the hydraulic brake systems, damping elements along the entire line, and low-noise fan and cooler units.
30-TGD Hon Thom
30-TGD-Hon-Thom. Image from Doppelmayr.
Thanks to Doppelmayr/Garaventa, the southern Vietnamese vacation islands of Hon Thom and Phu Quoc are now conveniently linked with a record-setting ropeway. Commissioned in February 2018, the 7,899.9m long gondola is the world’s longest 3S gondola lift.
Once passengers hop onboard one of the seventy 30-passenger cabins, they soar above the Gulf of Thailand while riding pass towers which are as high as 160m. The system can travel at speeds of 8.5m/s which allows up to 3,500 passengers per hour to reach Hon Thom Island from Phu Quoc in just fifteen minutes.
Amongst aerial ropeway technologies, 3S gondolas boast the highest line capacities (up to 5,000 per hour), wind stabilities (+100km/h) and speeds (8.5m/s). For the 30-TGD Hon Thom ropeway, a number of standout features were specifically integrated into the system to maximize passenger experience and safety. These include the recovery concept for top safety during evacuations and the innovative carriage wheel generator which provides power supply to cabins.
10-MGD Busan Air Cruise
10-MGD Busan Air Cruise. Image from Doppelmayr.
The introduction of the Busan Air Cruise in June 2017 marks the return of ropeway technology in South Korea’s second largest city after a twenty-nine year absence.
Gliding up to 86m above Songdo Bay, the new 10-passenger detachable lift provides passengers with an exciting aerial trip between Songdo Beach and a leisure park. Since Busan is known for its natural beauty and laid-back attitude, the gondola is a perfect addition to the City.
To enhance the passenger experience, a portion of cabins have been equipped with glass floors. As part of the ropeway’s inauguration, Songdo Doppelmayr World was also opened. Guests who visit this facility have the opportunity to learn about ropeway technology in a fun and interactive manner.
To read and learn more about Doppelmayr’s cable installations from the 2018 yearbook, please click here.
Materials on this page are paid for. Gondola Project (including its parent companies and its team of writers and contributors) does not explicitly or implicitly endorse third parties in exchange for advertising. Advertising does not influence editorial content, products, or services offered on The Gondola Project.