Parque Metropolitano – located in the Chilean capital of Santiago – is the fourth largest urban park in the world encompassing over 700 acres of land. Attractions, such as the Japanese botanical gardens and the National Zoo provide opportunities for leisurely fun and relaxation. Adding to the park’s appeal is the Teleférico Metropolitano, a cable car system providing transportation throughout the park allowing riders to experience its luscious gardens and pools from an aerial perspective.
Originally constructed in 1980, the Teleférico Metropolitano operated for 29 years before mechanical failures prompted the gondola’s indefinite suspension. However, through public financing, the gondola was ultimately re-opened in 2016. This upgraded cable car line is an MDG system, which is common amongst modern cable car systems. The gondola’s O&M contract was awarded to Chilean tour and excursion agency, Turistk — the same company who operates Funicular Santiago and the city’s Hop-On, Hop-off buses.
A round trip takes approximately 15 minutes and passes through 3 stations: Oasis, Tupahue, and Cumbre – all newly renovated for the re-opening of the cable car. The name of the station Cumbre translated to English means Summit. This indicates the station’s location on top of the Cerro San Cristóbal – a hill overlooking the city and site of the Virgin Mary Statue. Since opening in late November, the cable car has attracted over 80,000 riders in a month. It’s safe to say that many locals and tourists are happy that one of Santiago’s great icons is back!
System Statistics
| Year opened (new) | 2016 |
| Length (km) | 2 |
| Line capacity (pphpd) | 1000 |
| Stations | 3 |
| Speed (m/s) | 5 |
Image credits: CC BY-SA 4.0, by Sfs90