Say hello to the only known urban transit gondola in Russia and goodbye to Nizhny Novgorod’s commuting woes. This monocable detachable gondola crosses Europe’s longest river – the Volga – and connects the city of Nizhny Novgorod to the town of Bor.
This aerial transport system saves travellers to these areas from using the congested roads. Travel times have been truncated from 90 minutes to just 12, distances from 27km by highway to only 3.6km in the cable car!
The system was designed to transport commuters, but quickly turned into a popular ride for visitors, boosting local tourism. At only 80 rubles ($1.50 USD), the cable car is a very cost-effective transport solution for commuters and tourists, offering a unique bird’s-eye view of the surrounding landscape.
The system carries about 2 million passengers per year and is most notable for its 861m long span between two 82m tall towers.
System Statistics
| Length (km) | 3.6 |
| Stations | 2 |
| Year Opened | 2012 |
| Capacity | 1000 |
| Ridership (yearly) | 2,000,000 |
| Trip Time | 12-15 minutes |
| Maximum Speed (m/s) | 5 |
Image credits: CC BY-SA 3.0, by Алексей Белобородов