Lift-World.info :: Lifts under construction and projects

Launch of world’s first “Apple Ropeway”

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 08:33:18 +0000

On November 18th, a milestone for sustainable logistics was achieved in theItalian province of Trento: the world’s first ropeway for transporting applesofficially started operation. The ceremonial opening attracted a great deal ofmedia attention and was attended by high-profile guests, including the PrimeMinister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, Agriculture Minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, aswell as the top management of Melinda, represented by President Ernesto Seppiand Anton Seeber and Martin Leitner from LEITNER.The Melinda consortium, which produces 400,000 tons of apples per year, choseLEITNER to build the world’s first ropeway system for transporting fruit, in Predaia inthe Non Valley. In terms of technology, it is a detachable monocable uni-directionalropeway with 11 towers (six of which are in a tunnel), covering a distance of 1,300meters and an altitude difference of 87 meters. The system can transport 460stackable, 300-kilogram storage bins per hour, at a speed of five meters per second.The route starts at the processing plant in Predaia and travels for roughly a third of thedistance through a tunnel, which was originally built for mining dolomite rock, to thehypogeal cells. These temperature-controlled “natural refrigerators” in the heart of theDolomites, use 30% less electricity than a conventional warehouse and avoid thenecessity to construct new buildings on the surface.The cabins are equipped with electric roller doors that open and close automaticallywhen they reach the station, so the loading and unloading processes are fullyautomated and do not require manual assistance. Overall, the system only requiresone employee to oversee its smooth operation and monitor the facility. A 26-meter-high freight elevator with a load capacity of 1,000 kg is also integrated into the ropewayend station; this elevator connects the two storage levels and has a fully automatedloading and unloading system. The “Apple Ropeway” – partly financed by theEuropean “Next Generation EU” program, which covered 40% of the investment – willsave 5,000 truck trips and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the valley.During the grand opening ceremony, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described theworld's first apple ropeway as a pioneering project for sustainable transport."We are standing in front of a facility that was built entirely “made in Italy”, is poweredby renewable energy, and is capable of transporting apples in a unique way. Theunderground storage rooms, which were dug into the heart of the Dolomite rock andform a huge ‘natural refrigerator’, make it possible to reduce energy costs, protect theenvironment, and avoid soil sealing. The underground hypogeal cells and the appleropeway are an absolutely innovative production and organizational model."

Garaventa modernises Zurich’s Rigiblick urban ropeway

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 21:34:06 +0000

The Rigiblick funicular is not only a Zurich landmark, but also an integral part of theZurich public transport network (VBZ). Garaventa has comprehensively modernised the120-year-old ropeway on behalf of VBZ. The focus was on new vehicles, moderntechnology and greater comfort for passengers.The new vehicles* can accommodate 33 people instead of the previous 30, are around 80 cmlonger than their predecessors and are deliberately designed to resemble a Zurich Flexity tram.Both vehicles are unique, as they were constructed as mirror images and are therefore notidentical in design. One design element in the interior is the illuminated rings at both ends of thevehicle ceilings. On the mountain side, the illuminated ring frames a round skylight window thatbrings additional daylight into the interior of the vehicle. Together with the raised wooden seatingarea on the mountain side, this is reminiscent of a theatre stage – a tribute to the RigiblickTheatre. Large panoramic windows extending to the floor create a bright, open atmosphere allaround.In addition to the vehicles, the entire electrical control system was also replaced. During thecourse of the work, the brake hydraulics were also converted, all bearings on the drive anddeflection wheels and the rope compensation system were replaced, and the reconditioned motorand gearbox were integrated. Chassis with low-noise plastic wheels reduce noise emissions inurban areas as much as possible. A new 32 mm diameter Performa haul rope from Fatzer alsoensures low-vibration and quiet operation – ideal for the cable car's approximately 160 daily trips.More comfort and accessibilityThe modernisation will also ensure that the funicular railway complies with the requirements of theDisability Discrimination Act (DDA). Wide doors and an optimised interior design create morespace and facilitate barrier-free access and passenger flow. “The Rigiblick funicular railway is animportant part of Zurich's local transport system. With the modernisation, we are ensuring that itcan be used reliably and barrier-free in the future,” says Ueli Sutter, Sales Project Manager atGaraventa.The Rigiblick funicular was opened in 1901 and extensively renovated in 1978/79. It is consideredthe first fully automatic, licensed funicular with intermediate stations in Switzerland. Fullyautomatic means that the railway operates according to a timetable and without accompanyingpersonnel on site: control, monitoring and safety systems run continuously and are centrallycontrolled, while operating personnel can intervene in the background if necessary. The funicularusually runs from early morning until midnight at short intervals, is optimally integrated into theZürcher Verkehrsbund (ZVV) public transport system and reliably transports 700,000 passengersper year. The cable car has been back in operation since Friday, 26 September 2025.* Created in collaboration with VBZ, CWA and Milani Design & Consulting AG33-FUL Zürich Rigiblick, Zürich (CHE)Images: Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ)Inclined length: 385 mVertical rise: 95 mCapacity: 720 P/hSpeed: 5 m/sOpened: 09/2025

Opening Matterhorn Alpine Crossing

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 21:10:34 +0000

The waiting is over: The opening of the new 3S cableway from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station at 3883 metres above sea level to the Testa Grigia valley station marks the completion of the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing. With immediate effect, passengers can embark on the scenic trip around the Matterhorn, which includes the highest border crossing by cable car in the Alps at 3480 metres. The opening ceremony was hosted by celebrity presenter Michelle Hunziker and attended by Christophe Dabellay, President of the State Council of the Canton of Vallis, Renzo Testolin, President of the Gouvernment of the Valle d’Aosta Region and other representatives of the political and business worlds from both Switzerland and Italy.

It was an emotional moment for many of those present on Friday afternoon when the symbolic red ribbon was cut and the new 3S cableway, the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II, declared officially open. After years of planning and construction, the project was successfully completed in the face of enormous challenges: another milestone achievement for Zermatt Bergbahnen. The total investment in the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing project so far amounts to some CHF 140 million. Markus Hasler, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen, is confident in his assessment: “The new trans-Alpine connection between Switzerland and Italy further enhances the offering from Zermatt Bergbahnen and the Zermatt-Matterhorn resort. It is an attractive addition to our services, both for individuals and small groups of travellers, creating a range of options for existing international guests and opening up fresh markets. The pricing strategy will not serve to promote mass tourism or visitors in transit but focus on the experience of the individual guest.” Federico Maquignaz, President & CEO of Cervino S.p.A. adds: “The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing is a joint endeavour that intensifies the partnership between Zermatt and Cervinia. We collaborate on a wide range of activities and attractions, from winter sports to the year-round visitor experience. The new crossing is a very welcome development and a great boost to the services offered by both partners.” The godfather of the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II, Anton Lauber, has served for many years as construction manager and head of planning at Zermatt Bergbahnen. He has had overall responsibility for the construction work at almost 4000 metres above sea level and significantly influenced operations.

Sustainability as a cornerstone

Zermatt Bergbahnen continued to demonstrate its commitment to greater sustainability in the Alpine region during the construction of the new Matterhorn Glacier Ride II 3S cableway in collaboration with ropeway manufacturer Leitner. The façade of the new mountain station houses another photovoltaic facility, supplying around 16,875 kWh per year. This installation supplements the existing renewable energy resources in the Zermatt area.

A visionary project

The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing is a unique achievement in many respects. On the one hand, because of the pioneering work at extreme altitudes that was involved. On the other, because of the cooperation between two countries on a project that ensures a year-round connection between neighbouring tourist resorts. Michelle Hunziker says of this once-in-a-lifetime project: “I am proud to be involved in the opening of this unique connection between Italy and Switzerland. This is a special moment for me as a Swiss-Italian.”

According to Franz Julen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zermatt Bergbahnen: “People started to think about creating a year-round cableway connection between Zermatt and Cervinia as long ago as 1939. Now, more than 80 years later, this vision is becoming a reality. Pioneering spirit, innovation and tenacity are synonymous with Zermatt. We have faith in tourism and will continue to develop our services step by step – including the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing. The name is a premium brand that stands for a unique high-level experience spanning two countries and cultures. Over the next ten years, Zermatt Bergbahnen will invest some CHF 200 million in the two cableways and the staging of events focused on the crossing experience. These investments further enhance the appeal of the Zermatt-Matterhorn resort and are expected to generate an annual income stream of approximately CHF 40 million.”

Fresh experiences

The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing extends the scope of the Matterhorn Summer Paradise. The new cableway opens up the Valle d’Aosta region for visitors to explore its spectacular scenery and discover the quaint houses in typical Walliser (Valaisan) style. Activities on offer include riding, biking, hiking and golf. On the Theodul glacier close by the new Testa Grigia valley station, the Plateau Rosa SnowXperience world of adventure is due to open in August 2023. It will offer winter sports beginners the chance to hire all the equipment they need and book ski instructors on the spot.

Online guide for travellers

To get ready for the new adventure trip and plan the highlights you want to visit along the chosen route, the http://www.matterhornalpinecrossing.com online guide offers useful information such as timetables, prices and an overview showing the complete route between the two countries. A further service starting in 2024 will enable travellers to arrange convenient baggage transport between the two destinations.

Further information and images are available at the following link: matterhornalpinecrossing.com/media

Michelle Hunziker to open historic project

Mon, 15 May 2023 16:08:42 +0000

The opening of the new Matterhorn Glacier Ride II 3S cableway marks the realization of a once-in-a-lifetime project laden with superlatives: the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing will be the first continuous connection between Switzerland and Italy over the Alpine ridge. The opening ceremony on 30 June 2023 will be hosted by the Swiss-Italian presenter Michelle Hunziker.

The ceremony to mark the opening of the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing will take place on 30 June 2023 before an audience of invited guests. The venue is the new Testa Grigia valley station situated at an altitude of 3,480 metres above sea level, right on the Swiss-Italian border. To do full justice to the historic moment, the opening ceremony will be hosted by celebrity presenter Michelle Hunziker. She will introduce an entertaining programme with guests from Switzerland and Italy, celebrating the significance of the collaboration between Zermatt and Cervinia and the realization of the long-cherished vision of the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing.

Tourist potential

The once-in-a-lifetime Matterhorn Alpine Crossing project is set to bring the resorts of Zermatt and Cervinia (IT) even closer together. Instead of skiing or snowboarding, from 1 July 2023 onwards visitors will be able to traverse the Alps from Italy to Switzerland and vice versa for the first time ever by cable car – with no need to get their feet wet. The new Matterhorn Glacier Ride II section will close the last remaining gap between Zermatt and Cervinia and make the long-dreamt-of vision of the highest Alpine crossing by cableway a reality. Markus Hasler, CEO Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, says: “The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing will generate great potential for tourism with the new connection between Zermatt and Cervinia across the Alps. The creation of new travel routes for our existing international visitors and the opening of new markets constitutes an exciting additional product – for individual travellers and small groups alike.” Franz Julen – Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zermatt Bergbahnen – adds: “The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing is much more than a cable car ride. The name is a premium brand that stands for a unique high-level experience spanning two countries and cultures. The focus at all times remains on the majestic Matterhorn, as seen from both the Zermatt and the Italian perspectives.” He goes on to say: “No one epitomizes the Swiss-Italian connection better than Michelle Hunziker.”

The final phase of construction in May 2023

The building sites around the new cableway are now in their final stages of completion. In May and June, the gondolas will be installed, the facility brought into operation internally and safety checks carried out by the Federal Office of Transport. The new cableway will run from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station at an altitude of 3,883 metres to the Testa Grigia valley station at 3,480 metres. Markus Hasler, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen, comments: “The construction teams have worked in extremely difficult conditions to achieve the extraordinary.” He adds: “The new cableway is suspended above the glacier without the need for supporting towers. This offers passengers a wonderful experience that is thrilling as well as sustainable!” Due to the challenging conditions high in the Alps, an exceptionally wind-resistant three-cable system manufactured by the South Tyrol cableway specialists LEITNER was selected for the project – the same system was previously used in the construction of the Matterhorn Glacier Ride I. The cabins, created by Ferrari designers Pininfarina, offer outstanding comfort. The new lift will also feature Crystal Ride cabins, which are fitted with a glass floor to give clear views of the Theodul Glacier below.

Opening day offer for the public

On 1 July 2023, the day the new cableway goes into operation, the public will be invited to enjoy a free trip on the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II from the Klein Matterhorn mountain station to the Testa Grigia valley station and back. Full details of the offer can be found online at: http://www.matterhornparadise.ch/testa

Official opening of the “Mexicable 2 – Línea Verde” on 30 March 2023

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:38:52 +0000

The Mexico ropeway system is already beating all records and providing safe, fast,

environment-friendly mobility. Now, with the completion and opening of the

“Mexicable 2 – Línea Verde”, the latest line completes an effective system of

independent ropeways that deliver transport with the very highest level of efficiency

and sustainability.

The city of Ecatepec de Morelos, which has a population in the millions and forms part of

the Mexico City metropolitan area, has become global pioneer in the integration of ropeways

into its urban transport system. This success story began seven years ago, with the

construction of the “Mexicable 1 – Línea Roja”, five kilometres long. Since its commissioning

the system, which operates for more than 18 hours every day and has proved extremely

popular with users, has clocked up more than 41 million journeys, with an exemplary

reliability of 99.8%. The secret of this success lies partly in the impressive time saving

compared to car travel: via the ropeway, users can access the metropolis’s public transport

network in just 19 minutes, compared to 50 minutes in nose-to-tail traffic.

The “Línea Verde” fills a major gap

The official opening of the “Mexicable 2 – Línea Verde” on 30 March 2023 fills a major gap

in the Ecatepec de Morelos ropeway network. In future the system, which consists of three

interconnected ropeways, will transport about 35,000 people from the municipalities of

Ecatepec de Morelos and Tlalnepantla de Baz to Mexico City every day, and also help to

conserve the Zacatenco protected areas of natural beauty in the Gustavo A. Madero district

thanks to its low noise emissions.

With its carefully designed route, the “Línea Verde” is the perfect completion of the public

transport network. Starting from the second station on the “Línea Roja”, this ropeway, with

a length of 8.5 kilometres, conveys passengers in about 300 gondolas to the Indios Verdes

subway station, with a total of seven stops.

“This provides local residents with convenient, safe, quick access to the subway network.

The link consists of three ropeways installed one after the other, each with one middle

station: including the termini, there are a total of seven stations. The use of three

independent systems gives us greater flexibility, enabling us to ensure peak reliability in the

transport services,” declares Giacomo Trattenero, from the LEITNER Sales Team.

The topography of the area and its construction density proved to be a serious challenge.

“In view of the very tight spaces available, sometimes we had to deliver materials at night,

and often we could only use cranes and small trucks. Since we had to cross one of Mexico

City’s busiest motorways, and closing it was not an option, we even had to use drones to

lay the first rope along the line’s pylons,” assembly director Patrick Rudigier explains.

Mexico City: just 36 minutes to the subway interchange
A LEITNER ropeway has also been making a huge contribution to slimming down city traffic
in the Iztapalapa district, in the south-east of Greater Mexico City, since 2021. More than 10
kilometres long, the “Cablebus 2” offers the catchment area’s 1.8 million residents a much
better transport link to workplaces, schools and leisure venues. Here again, the crucial factor
in the new transport system’s high approval rating has been the sharp acceleration in
mobility it provides: at just 36 minutes, journey time on this route has been more than halved.

Matterhorn Glacier Ride II goes into service this year

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 09:07:00 +0000

The countdown has started: the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II goes into service on 1 July 2023. The new 3S cableway will connect the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station with the valley station at Testa Grigia in Italy to create the highest border crossing in the Alps – the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing.

The once-in-a-lifetime Matterhorn Alpine Crossing project is set to bring the resorts of Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia even closer together. The new 3S cableway known as the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II will run from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station at an altitude of 3883 metres above sea level down to the Testa Grigia valley station at 3458 metres. Instead of skiing or snowboarding, visitors will be able to make this passage from Italy to Switzerland and vice versa for the first time ever without getting their feet wet. The new section will close the last remaining gap between Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia and make the long dreamt-of vision of the highest Alpine crossing by cableway a reality.

Focus on individuals and exclusivity

Zermatt Bergbahnen consistently sets new standards within the sector and this project demonstrates the company’s visionary and innovative prowess as industry leaders. According to CEO Markus Hasler, “The new connection between Italy and Switzerland further enhances the offering from Zermatt Bergbahnen. The pricing strategy will not serve to promote mass tourism or visitors in transit but the experience of the individual guest. From 2024, there will be a luggage service to make the trip across the Alps comfortable and convenient. A variety of attractions await on the peaks, including the SnowXperience Plateau Rosa around the Testa Grigia valley station and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise near the mountain station on the Klein Matterhorn.

Busy months ahead

The next few weeks will see the completion of the final concreting works at the valley station and the installation of electrical equipment. Since the beginning of February 2023, work has been taking place on the cable winch. This is one of the most dramatic phases of the construction and will take around three months. Then, at the beginning of May 2023, the first gondolas will be delivered, and various assembly and commissioning tasks will be carried out to get the new 3S cableway ready for use. Further information and facts and figures about the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing can be found on our website and in the electronic media folder which is updated on an ongoing basis: www.matterhornparadise.ch/alpine-crossing

Through Riyadh’s spectacular amusement park by ropeway

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 08:54:20 +0000

Since 2019, the “Boulevard” has been one of Riyadh’s most spectacular leisure

attractions. The metropolis of eight million people, the capital and financial center of

Saudi Arabia, is focusing intensively on economic and tourist revitalization with the

mega-project and the “Riyadh Season” festival and has recently expanded the area

with the “Boulevard World”. A 10-passenger LEITNER gondola lift is being used for

comfortable and rapid transport between this new area and the original “Boulevard

Riyadh City”.

Entirely based on the model of Las Vegas, the Boulevard World is to become the new

entertainment hotspot of the desert city. In addition to replicas of world-famous structures

such as Times Square, the canals of Venice, the Moroccan Medina right up to London’s

Coventry Street, there are countless other entertainment options ranging from roller

coasters to light shows and water shows, firework shows, shopping centers, movie theaters,

hotels and restaurants. One of the highlights is the largest man-made lake in the world,

where visitors can even go on submarine rides.

In order to guarantee the best possible transport through the now 900,000 square meter

boulevard area, the operating company Sela decided to build a ropeway. The ropeway starts

at the parking lot to the north of Boulevard Riyadh City, flies over a wide road and then leads

into Boulevard World, where the ropeway station has been embedded in the impressive

Greek landscape of Santorini. The 10-passenger gondola lift runs over a distance of 1.2

kilometers and reaches a maximum transport capacity of 3,000 people per hour. The

ropeway is in operation daily from late afternoon until midnight during the “Riyadh Season”

festival, which was opened at the end of October, until spring 2023.

“Riyadh Season” as a tourist attraction

The 2022/23 Riyadh Season has so far attracted 15 million visitors. This year’s theme is

“Beyond Imagination”. Visitors can enjoy countless concerts, exhibitions and other

performances – there will be no fewer than 8,500 events in 15 different themes zones at

Riyadh Season this time around.

Colombia: New contract for Leitner in Manizales

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:00:47 +0000

Urban ropeways have been a tradition in Colombia for years. Especially in

Manizales, a municipality with more than 400,000 inhabitants in the department of

Caldas, two ropeway systems from LEITNER have already been successfully

integrated into the public transport system. Now, this offer is being expanded with a

third ropeway.

LEITNER already built a 10-passenger gondola lift along one of the main roads in Manizales

in Colombia. Due to its success, an extension of this ropeway was carried out in 2013. The

existing ropeway now runs from the bus terminal to the suburb of Villa Maria and has been

operating successfully as an urban transport solution since its opening.

The fact that this form of transport is seen as an ideal complement in an area known for its

topographical difficulties is proven by the continued popularity of this transport system

among the population.

So, it is not surprising that Manizales has now opted for another LEITNER ropeway.

The contract was signed on September 1, 2022 with great public attention.

With a length of 2,300 m and a transport capacity of 2,100 p/h, the new ropeway system,

consisting of 4 stations, will connect the people in the north of the city with the financial and

business district and the city's transport center. From December 2023, this new ropeway

with its 60 cabins will dock with the two existing installations, thus extending the ropeway

network in Manizales to 4,885 meters.

Montenegro: From sea to mountain in eleven minutes

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 17:09:16 +0000

Superlative ropeway project begins: spanning a distance of 3.9 kilometers and

1,316 vertical meters, a LEITNER system will soon connect the UNESCO World

Heritage Site of Kotor with Lovćen National Park. Montenegro’s Prime Minister

Dritan Abazovic has described the project as being “of major strategic

importance to the country’s development as a tourist destination.” Martin

Leitner also considers the new ropeway strongly indicative of the future of the

region: “Green mobility means sustainable economic growth.”

In Montenegro, work began in recent days on the first sea-to-mountain gondola lift on

the Adriatic, which the South Tyrolean company LEITNER will build and operate for

the next 30 years together with a consortium formed around local construction

enterprise Novi Volvox. The ropeway is expected to open in summer 2023.

The new route runs from Kotor to Kuk, a point on Mount Lovćen 1,348 meters above

sea level in one of Dalmatia’s most spectacular natural preserves. Gondolas will travel

the 3.9-kilometer route in less than eleven minutes.

“Our aim is to make the country even more attractive, and this project will play a major

part in making this vision a reality,” said Montenegro’s Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic

at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The ropeway will become one of the finest facilities

of its kind in Europe, and it will also be of considerable strategic importance, since it

will directly connect two of Montenegro’s most emblematic places: the UNESCO World

Heritage Site of Kotor and Lovćen National Park.”

LEITNER board member Martin Leitner concurs. “We are extremely proud – and very

aware of the responsibility it entails – to breathe genuine life into an idea that has been

described as iconic since the design stage.” He believes that the ropeway will be a

major driver of tourist development and an expression of a far-sighted strategy for the

future. “We’re convinced that true growth can only occur in this visually and

architecturally stunning environment in conjunction if it is tied to the development of

sustainable mobility,” Leitner says.

A gondola lift which will drive tourism and help the environment

There are very few direct links from the sea to the mountains in Europe. But there will

soon be one in Montenegro. The ropeway will begin in the village of Dub within the

coastal municipality of Kotor, very near the road tunnel which connects Kotor with Tivat.

Just under four kilometers up the rope, the ropeway reaches Kuk on Mount Lovćen,

1,348 meters above sea level. This journey covers a vertical distance of no less than

1,316 meters between the bottom and top stations. The ropeway is expected to be

able to carry 1,200 passengers per hour, and the predicted number of passengers in
the first year of operation is around 400,000. The installation will have 40 cabins, each
with a capacity of ten people, and the journey time from the bottom station in Dub to
the top station in Kuk will be less than eleven minutes, which is much less time than it
currently takes by car. Equally noteworthy are the environmental benefits in an
environment as sensitive as the Lovćen National Park. Constructing the ropeway will
almost completely eliminate the use of the winding old Njeguš road, and that will
significantly reduce carbon emissions from cars and buses because it will cut down
motorized traffic to a minimum. Passengers arriving at the top station will enjoy one of
the world’s most beautiful views: the Bay of Kotor, a place which, through the
development of port infrastructure, has become a highly favored destination of
international tourists.

Stability Through Public-Private Partnership
The project involves a planned investment of €24.2 million. As in the case of the urban
ropeways in Berlin and Pisa, LEITNER is not limiting itself to providing ropeway
expertise. As part of a public-private partnership closely connected to the government
of Montenegro, LEITNER, in a project consortium with local enterprise Novi Volvox, is
responsible not only for overseeing construction, but also for maintaining and operating
the ropeway.

By ropeway to the Dalai Lama’s home

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 17:11:50 +0000

Located in northwestern India, Dharamshala has always been a popular destination

for tourists and pilgrims for its picturesque surroundings and cool mountain air. But

the Dalai Lama’s home at the foot of the Himalayas attracts not only countless visitors

but also huge traffic flows. In order to relieve the mountain roads, which are reaching

their capacity limits, the perfect answer was the construction of the 8-passenger

"Dharamshala Skyway" gondola lift by LEITNER. The installation has been in

operation since January, ensuring a comfortable, trouble-free and above all fast

journey to the heart of Tibetan Buddhism.

Also known as "Little Lhasa," the region includes the economic center of Lower

Dharamshala and the pilgrimage center of Upper Dharamshala, five kilometers away at an

altitude of 1,830 meters above sea level. The connection between the two areas is

increasingly burdened by massive traffic congestion due to the high number of visitors. While

small vehicles reach the upper part of the village via a short but steep road, cars, trucks and

buses have to use a nine-kilometer long winding road. While this journey takes as little as

25 minutes on low-traffic days, travel time during periods of heavy visitor traffic - such as

weekends or those days when the Dalai Lama is in Dharamshala - even reaches several

hours.

A ropeway as an emergency brake and tourism attraction

Reason enough for the local administration to pull the emergency brake and at the same

time seize the opportunity for a sustainable and effective realignment. With the construction

of the 8-passenger gondola lift from Lower Dharamshala to Upper Dharamshala, the

tradition-steeped pilgrimage site is focusing on environmentally friendly innovation and

maximum functionality. Opened on January 19, 2022, the facility reduces travel time to five

minutes and transports up to 1,000 people per hour. A total of 24 cabins along the 1,775-

meter route ensure that the flow of visitors keeps moving smoothly and without delays. This

not only increases comfort for visitors but also improves the quality of life for locals. The

ideal positioning of the lift also makes a huge contribution. While the valley station is located

near a bus stop, the top station is just 300 meters from the Dalai Lama's residence.

Attractions besides the Dalai Lama

With the gondola lift, Dharamshala has also created the optimal infrastructure to ensure the

most barrier-free access possible to the famous sights, even away from the hustle and bustle

around the Dalai Lama's residence and temple. Whether a visit to the Kalachakra Temple,

the Tibet Museum or a hike to the popular Triund Hill: Rapid transportation by ropeway

creates real and environmentally friendly added value in the diverse tourism and pilgrimage
region.

Doppelmayr urban ropeway to the University of Haifa

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 20:38:09 +0000

In Haifa, 20,000 students and commuters can now use a Doppelmayr ropeway to get to

the University. It runs from HaMiFratz central railroad and bus terminal to the Technion,

Israel’s biggest research center, and on to the University of Haifa campus. As part of

the public transport network, the gondola means a time saving of up to 25 minutes for

passengers and gives them a direct route to their workplaces and education facilities.

During their working visit to Haifa, Minister of the Economy Margarete Schramböck and

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg took a trip on the ropeway and were able to

experience the comfort of this new mode of public transport at first hand.

The new ropeway to the University of Haifa is Israel’s first urban gondola and forms an integral

part of the public transport network. It incorporates six stations – three of which are being used

for boarding and disembarkation from the start – and runs from HaMiFratz central railroad and

bus terminal to the Technion, Israel’s biggest research center, and on to the University of Haifa

campus. Passengers cover the approximately four-kilometer route up Mount Carmel in just

under 20 minutes – with a unique view of the sea and no traffic jams. This saves them up to

25 minutes each way.

20,000 passengers can use the gondola on a daily basis. It runs from mornings to evenings

for up to 19 hours a day.

Transport hub for optimized passenger comfort

The base station of the gondola is part of the multimodal transport hub known as HaMiFratz.

Local and regional buses, the Metronit bus rapid transit (BRT) system and the railroad all

converge at this point. The HaMiFratz hub was modernized in 2018 with the aim of making

operations more efficient and simplifying transfers for passengers. The ropeway is an integral

part of the local transit system and represents a further step toward multimodal, barrier-free

transportation in Haifa. This means that passengers can also use their public transport ticket

to travel on the ropeway.

In addition to the multimodal transport facilities incorporating railroad, bus and ropeway, the

HaMiFratz mobility hub offers passengers one of Haifa’s biggest shopping malls: the Lev

Hamifratz Mall – also known as the Cinemall.

Highlight for architecture fans

As well as being the destination for around 18,000 students at the university and 15,600

students at the Technion plus staff, the university campus also attracts large numbers of

architecture fans. The University’s Eshkol Tower was designed by the world-famous Brazilian

architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1962. The new ropeway now makes it easier and more convenient

to visit this building.

Urban ropeways in Haifa

Haifa was an early adopter of the ropeway as a means of public transport. The Carmelit–Haifa

funicular was originally built in the 1950s and rebuilt by Garaventa in 2018 following a fire. It

runs underground over its entire length and is therefore referred to as Haifa’s subway. The 1.8-

kilometer installation serves a total of six stations and is also integrated into the urban transport

network and ticketing system.

Minister of the Economy Schramböck and Foreign Minister Schallenberg on the new ropeway:
“As well as making a valuable contribution to the regional transport network, the new ropeway
in Haifa is also an impressive example of the worldwide demand for the technological know-
how of top Austrian companies. Roughly six out of every 10 euros of Austria’s economic output
are generated abroad. This is precisely where the Federal Government is placing the focus
with our economic initiative ReFocus Austria, which is aimed at driving growth in Austria’s
exports. This will play a pivotal role in attracting international investments, creating new jobs
and strengthening Austria’s position as a business location, which will then maintain our
economic prosperity and finance our welfare state,” says Foreign Minister Alexander
Schallenberg. Margarete Schramböck added: “Austrian exports are a success story. The new
Doppelmayr ropeway in Haifa impressively demonstrates the success of our companies in
international markets. Our exporters and products made in Austria are in demand worldwide.
The export sector safeguards every second job in Austria and ensures economic prosperity.
An active trade policy is a crucial driver for the development of an international business
location like Austria.”

Fact box
10-MGD Rakavlit
Location: Haifa (ISR)
Customer: Israeli Ministry of Transport
Length: 4,321 m
Vertical rise: 472 m
Capacity: 2,400 PPH
Speed: 5.0 m/s
Trip time: 19.0 min
Carriers: 150 10-passenger cabins

Guinness World Record for Cablebus 2 in Mexico City

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 11:19:29 +0000

The recently opened Cablebus 2 LEITNER gondola lift in Mexico City was awarded with the Guinness World Record this week: With its 10.55 kilometers, the ropeway is actually the longest urban ropeway line in the world. Claudia Sheinbaum, the mayor of the city proudly accepted the award and pointed out the importance of this ropeway in her speech. It significantly improves the mobility of the people in this district, enables an easy connection to the subway and helps the residents to achieve more social justice.

For Carlos Tapia Rojas, official juror of Guinness World Records in Mexico, the social impact of the Cablebus 2 is enormous: "This project will surely inspire many people around the world to implement similar projects, solving mobility problems and improving the daily lives of many people."

The new gondola lift was ceremonially put into operation on August 8 and has seven stations, which are also directly connected to subway stations. The project was implemented by LEITNER together with its Mexican partner Alfa Proveedores Contratistas.

Cablebus 2 gondola lift in Mexico City now in operation

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 19:29:18 +0000

The official opening of Cablebus 2, the longest ropeway line in Latin America, took place on August 8th. The ropeway system is located in the district of Iztapalapa, in the southeast of the Mexico City metropolitan region, and offers residents a better and, above all, safer and faster connection to the metro stations. Equipped with more than 300 10-passenger cabins, the new “Cablebús 2” ropeway system by LEITNER will carry up to 100,000 people per day over 10,6 km and 7 stations.

On the day of the inauguration, the ropeway was in operation from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. and already transported 45,000 people in this short time. The two terminal stations of the ropeways are connected to the subway line 8 at “Constitución de 1917” station and to subway line A at “Santa Martha” station. This way, the passengers can reach the subway network quickly.

"With this construction, the longest ropeway line in Latin America, we have not only made an important and strategic investment in public transport, but also implemented a project that reduces social inequality," Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mayor of Mexico City, emphasized at the inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Martin Leitner, member of the LEITNER Management Board.

Important contribution to economic, sustainable and social development of Iztapalapa

The new gondola lift provides residents of the area, which has a population of 1.8 million, with a much better connection to workplaces, schools and leisure facilities. Along the route of the ropeway, more than 70,000 people are employed in stores, businesses, etc., and can now get to work more quickly. Furthermore, 4,200 new jobs are planned in Iztapalapa, which will be easier to reach thanks to the new means of transport. The travel time for this route is reduced significantly from 1 hour 15 minutes to 36 minutes. The district's residents are thus not only offered a faster and safer connection, but also a particularly sustainable means of transport.
LEITNER will operate the gondola lift for one year together with its Mexican partner Alfa Proveedores Contratistas. There will be 300 people on duty to operate the ropeway.

The area has also been embellished visually: On behalf of the city government and the district, 40 artists have created around 100 murals on roofs and facades along the ropeway route. This has resulted in impressive works of art on the themes of migration, the role of women and craftsmanship, which can be admired from the gondola lift.

In the pilgrimage funicular railway to the Santa Cova chapel

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 08:20:57 +0000

The Montserrat Benedictine Monastery is situated in the impressive mountain massif of the same name northwest of Barcelonaand has been a well-known pilgrimage center for centuries. Forcomfortable transportation of the pilgrims to the various locations in the terrain, during the course of the decades, many differentmeans of transportation have been built in this area. For example, in 1929, in addition to the rack railway of Montserrat, a funicularwas also built, which links the monastery with Santa Cova Chapel, the “Holy Cave”, the location at which the sacred image of the Virginof Montserrat was found, according to legend. Due to the damage caused by the downpour in June 2000, the original funicular hadto be reconstructed with a new system.

In 2018, the operating company of the railway, the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), commissioned LEITNER andits Spanish subsidiary Teleféricos y Nieve for the modernization of the funicular. The undercarriages were developed and built in the overhaul workshopat LEITNER in Leinì, the brakes and electrical technology were also replaced. The bodywas completely refurbished by a partner company in Salerno (IT) and the hauling cable was replaced. Overall, the wagon was to lose weight in order to achieve a higher transportcapacity. The required capacity of 25 people per wagon was even exceeded -thetwo wagons now offer space for 40 passengerseach. One of the biggest challenges with thisproject was the access to the railway route. This is on a very steep section of the mountainand detailed technical planning was therefore necessary for the delivery of the wagons andthe replacement of the hauling cable.

The funicular overcomes a height difference of 118 meters in around three minutes over a length of 262 metersand with a maximum gradient of 56,5%. In the middle of the route, two wagons can pass by one another due to a doubletrack section. In summer 2020, the renovated installation was able to return to service.

Innovations in Italy’s ski resorts by Leitner

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 11:59:15 +0000

In the well-known 3 Zinnen Dolomites ski resort in South Tyrol, they are looking forward with confidence and investing heavily in the future. In the middle of the Dolomites, between Sesto and the Helm ski mountain, LEITNER built the new Helmjetgondola lift, which replacesa 40-year-old aerial tramway. The more than two km long gondola liftovercomes a height difference of 730 m. In the Symphony 10 luxury cabins, the passengers experience a pleasant ride, including loden upholstery. The new ropeway achieves a higher transport capacity, now making long waiting times at the valley station a thing of the past. In Moos near Sesto, the old Bruggerleite platter lift was replaced with a new surfacelift.

In Alta Badia, LEITNER realized the new La Brancia 6-seater chairlift, fitted with safety bars. Furthermore, instead of the old Costoratta 4-seater chairlift, a modern 8-seater chairlift will bein operation, with premium seats and weather protection bubbles, in order to guarantee a safe ride for big and small skiers.

Since recently, LEITNER has also started the construction activities for the “Son dei Prade –Bai de Dones” gondola liftin Cortina d’Ampezzo. This new installation, a gondola lift in two sections, links the Tofane pistes with the Cinque Torri ski resort at the Falazarego Pass and therefore plays an important role in the long term for the tourism development of Cortina, also in view of the Olympic Games in 2026.

Alto Sangro, in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, is the largest ski area in central Italy, with a total of 100 km of slopes and includes the towns of Roccaraso, Rivisondoli and Pescocostanzo. In Roccaraso, at an altitude of 1236 m, LEITNER built the new 10-seatergondola liftPallottieri. Itcontributes to a significant increase in capacity and, above all, will guarantee a safe ride for the many small passengers. The Diamond 10 cabins offer a comfortable ride along the unchanged route and, with 100 kg of additional weight each, they provide even better wind stability.

At the Asiago plateau in the Veneto region, a new 6-seater chairlift by LEITNER, including blue weather protection bubbles, links the Verenetta Hut with Monte Verena. LEITNER also built a surface liftin Veneto, in the town of Palafavera. In the Gsieser Valley in South Tyrol, a new surface lift was also built.

New 6-seater chairlift on the Geisskopf in the Bavarian Forest

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 20:21:06 +0000

To match the year-round versatility of the Geisskopfin the Bavarian Forest, the new ropeway to the 1,097-metre-high leisure mountain should also be multifunctional. With their decision to purchase a 6-seater chairlift from LEITNER, after more than 50 years,, the operators are now making an important statement of modernisation and are offering a comfortable connection perfectly tailored to the needs of visitors to the Geisskopf.

The new bottom station with a 90-degree entrance will be located at the foot of the family run and will blend in particularly harmoniously with its surroundings through a sustainable and attractive design using wood and glass. The station houses the new LEITNER DirectDrive -gearless, oil-free and particularly energy-efficient and quiet. In addition there is fully automatic parking of the chairs in the station turnaroundand on a storage rail. The 6-seater model with maximum functionality has been chosen. Something of a première are the many options for using the lift in winter: At the Geisskopf, skiers and tobogganists together with their sports equipment (one or two tobogganists + one to four skiers or snowboarders) can be transported together on one chair. In addition, a special guidance system using LED technology guides guests through the boarding process. In summer, the facility offers the transport of up to six walkers or optionally up to three bikers and two walkers per chair. Thus the new facility will lead to a noticeable relief and improvement for bikers, who have often had to put up with very long queuing times in order to take advantage of the attractive range of versatile downhillroutes at the Geisskopf. Special brackets on the chairs make it possible to transport two toboggans on each vehicle in winter and three bikes in summer. The sports equipment is attached to the chair in front in each case and it is thus visible to the owners during the entire ride. A new type of device is used to attach the mountain bikes to the chairs which allows the bikers themselves to attach the bike to the chair and remove it at the mountain station. This system is being used for the first time on a chairlift in Germany and makes it easier especially for young and the less muscular guests to use it. The toboggan can be removed in one easy step when getting out. The new installation -which replaces a single chairlift built in 1967 and a surface lift built in 1988 -thus becomes an excellent choice for the Geisskopf and, in addition to the functional requirements, also fulfils the desire for fast, safe transport. The installation will be able to transport up to 2,100 people per hour.. Theprevious 14-minute journey will in future only take five minutes -and at the same time the comfortable upholstery, the absence of waiting times and provision of footrests will make for greater relaxation. For the operators, the realisation of the ropewayis far more than just a replacement of old infrastructure. It is expected to create added value for the entire region, which will not only have a positive impact on the development of tourism, but also trigger further investment to make the region even more attractive.

New 10-passenger gondola lift goes into service in Kopaonik in the winter season 2020/21

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 20:59:06 +0000

The Serbian ski resort of Kopaonik at the border with Kosovo has already relied on LEITNER quality in the past. Following construction of two chairlifts in 2014, the area will soon undergo another significant expansion in the form of a 10-passenger gondola lift. Starting this coming winter, it will provide a direct connection between the tourist resort Brzeće and Mali Karaman in the middle of the Kopaonik mountains. The gondola lift will operate all year-round and will guarantee even easier access to the ski area and offers optimum equipment for every occasion - whether in winter or summer.

Up to now, Brzeće has been connected to the ski area by two 2-seater chairlifts - Bela reka 1 and 2 - which, however, did not provide direct access to Mali Karaman. This gap will be closed from the coming winter by the new 10-passenger gondola lift, which will ensure a fast and comfortable ride to the heart of the area in the future. In parallel with the construction of the system, "Ski Resort of Serbia" is investing in expanding the existing ski slopes. The CD6C Gvozdac chairlift built by LEITNER in 2014 is also right next to the top station. The almost four-kilometre-long GD10 gondola lift at Brzeće can carry up to 2,400 people per hour and overcomes a height difference of 843 metres. It has 110 cabins, one of which has been constructed as a VIP version offering additional, exclusive comfort. Thanks to the LEITNER gondola lift, the necessary increase in capacity will be achieved from the coming winter, at the same time speeding up and improving the quality of transport.

Modern transportation throughout the year
The most modern and at the same time the largest ski resort in Serbia attracts a large number of sports enthusiasts not only in winter but also in summer. Thus, the area is seen as a centre for active recreation and has also established itself as a great destination for bikers. Accordingly, special consideration was given to this type of use when equipping the new gondola lift with transport facilities for bikes. In winter, the installation will become the new heart of the resort, thus enabling optimum distribution of guests in the 55 km of slopes. Around the Mali Karaman centre, which will enjoy much better connections in future, there are a total of 24 ropeways, one leading to the highest peak of the Kopaonik mountains, the 2,017 metre high Pančićev Vrh.

Green Light for new Helmjet in Sesto

Tue, 26 May 2020 21:48:59 +0000

On behalf of 3 Zinnen Dolomites, LEITNER ropeways is building a modern

10-passenger gondola lift for the Winter Season in 2020/21

The view towards the future in the well-known South Tyrolean ski resort 3 Zinnen Dolomites is confident including heavy investment, despite an early conclusion to the previous winter season. After 40 years in operation amid the South Tyrolean Dolomites between Sesto and Monte Elmo, the aerial tramway has become obsolete. In autumn it will be replaced by the new Helmjet gondola lift.

Monte Elmo is a popular destination for families and hikers, and in winter offers pleasures on the pistes at a height of 2,050 m. Using the Helmjet, passengers will in future reach the Monte Elmo peak in just six minutes. The new ropeway will offer much greater comfort, and the rush and long waiting times at the stations will soon be a thing of the past thanks to the increase in transport. For Mark Winkler, General Director of 3 Zinnen Dolomites, this project is close to his heart: “We have longed for this project for many years now. The new ropeway is the final jewel in the crown in the 3 Zinnen Dolomites sports and skiing destination and is the last piece of the puzzle resulting from the investments of recent years.”

An important part of the investments of the past few years were and are the ropeways. This will now be the sixth installation within six years which LEITNER ropeways has constructed in this ski resort. Mark Winkler looks forward to the cabins, from which you can enjoy a view of the Sexten Sun Dial – especially 58 elegant luxury cabins Symphony 10 fitted with bench seats with leather upholstery and ski racks inside, which provides a most pleasant travel experience. Mark Winkler is convinced: “We are upgrading our most important gateway to Sesto enormously.”

With a length of over 2 km, the gondola lift is very long and covers an altitude difference of 730 m. Power comes from an especially high-performance LEITNER DirectDrive. The cabins will be parked underground in the bottom station.

In Moso near Sesto the old 1972 Bruggerleite practise lift will be replaced by a new LEITNER ropeways surface lift. The Bruggerleite-Lift is a popular village lift and is a route for skiers from Moso for the Helmjet to Sesto.

LEITNER ropeways makes the standard unique

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 21:10:34 +0000

Customized products are among LEITNER ropeways’ greatest strengths. The company makes sure to offer its customers a wide variety of individual configuration options for its products. Its new advertising campaign, “Customization is part of our standards.”, focuses on that impressive versatility. The campaign topics demonstrate the unique adaptability of the products, which can transform any installation into a statement piece. Thanks to their highly flexible designs, they are perfectly suited to meet any individual requirement: from visual preferences to performance aspects, specific materials and equipment.

Customers of LEITNER ropeways have come to expect customization as a standard service. The company caters to that demand by offering an especially wide range of individually adaptable products. The Premium Chair EVO, the unique Luxury cabin Symphony 10, the Premium cabin Diamond EVO and the various configurations of the LEITNER DirectDrive system all come in countless set-ups. More than 180 configuration options of the Premium Chair EVO alone allow for unbridled freedom of design. They include a choice of various upholstery styles, colors, designs and footrests. The Luxury cabin Symphony 10 and Premium cabins Diamond EVO are just as versatile: individuality is key. Thanks to their modular construction, customers can choose their preferred length, width and height to adapt the cabins to their own needs. And the impressive flexibility of LEITNER products is not limited to chairs and cabins: the DirectDrive system, too, is designed to meet a wide range of individual requirements.

The company’s current campaign, “Customization is part of our standards.”, embodies LEITNER ropeways’ commitment to maximum freedom of design. Recent customer projects have confirmed the popularity of that flexibility and shown how popular it is for planning new systems.

Individual solutions to meet any challenge

The benefits of the great flexibility of design offered by LEITNER ropeways products are especially evident in projects that involve unusual conditions. Take Zermatt as an example: “Operating a 3S gondola lift like the Matterhorn glacier ride on high alpine terrain at an altitude of more than 3,800 meters requires tailor-made solutions and a genuine feat of engineering. When we planned the project, we had three priorities: ensure that the ropeway would meet the highest possible safety standards, that it would be low-maintenance once installed, and that it would be highly energy-efficient. LEITNER’s DirectDrive system and the LeitControl control system met all those requirements. As the operator of the ropeway, we also had high demands in the quality and comfort of the transportation experience. Leaning back in one of the leather seats in a spacious designer cabin and floating towards Klein Matterhorn nearly silently thanks to the 3S system is a unique feeling. If you’re lucky enough to be sitting in one of the Crystal Ride cabins, which are decorated with thousands upon thousands of Swarovski crystals, and watching the ground below through the glass floor, you feel like you’re flying”, Markus Hasler, CEO Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, explained.

The Jennerbahn in Schönau am Königssee in Bavaria was another project involving a sensitive natural environment that required a special configuration. Franz Moderegger, CEO Berchtesgadener Bergbahn AG, said: “The new top station of the 10-passenger gondola lift Jennerbahn in Schönau am Königsee is located at the edge of the Berchtesgaden Alpine National Park. To protect the sensitive natural area of Berchtesgaden and treat it with respect, we needed a reliable ropeway partner that could implement a wide range of individual requirements, rather than just selling standard products. Thanks to the energy-efficient, barrier-free concept, smooth organization and fair conditions offered, the owners of Berchtesgadener Bergbahn AG decided to use LEITNER ropeways products for all new ropeway installations. Every day, our guests are impressed by the stunning, all-round views from the modern panorama cabins and the nearly silent ascent to the summit.”

In Arabba, Italy, the ski resort in the heart of the Dolomites in the Livinallongo Valley/Province of Belluno, they have been relying on the expertise of LEITNER ropeways for years: "Leitner is a reliable and strong partner who spares no effort to approach new challenges as well as courageous and unusual projects. True to the spirit of our company, we are working together to make Arabba the most popular place to ski in the Dolomites, according to our motto "The Place to Ski", explains Diego De Battista, CEO Impianti turistici Boe S.p.a/Funivie Arabba.

SkiWelt’s first hi-tech 8/10 CGD combination lift is set to replace the 4-seater Zinsbergbahn

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 09:59:39 +0000

WOW! So future-oriented - SkiWelt’s first hi-tech 8/10 CGD combination lift is set to replace the 4-seater Zinsbergbahn.

The popular Zinsbergbahn lift, opened in 1987 as Europe’s first chairlift with a protective bubble, is being replaced after 32 years of operation, transporting no fewer than 25 million winter sports fans – all accident-free.

The new Zinsbergbahn, a combined cabin- and chairlift, offers ten large gondolas with panoramic views, as well as super-comfortable 8-person seating with bubbles to protect against the weather. It is the first of its kind not only in the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental, but also in the entire Kitzbühel Alps.

Visitors to the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental can now look forward to a new combination lift that will make the Hochbrixen ski area – especially popular with families, ski schools and beginners – even more attractive as from this coming winter. The lift will provide completely separate access for ski schools, thus allowing instructors to accompany all their pupils in one of the ten comfortable gondolas. The Zinsbergbahn is also a busy and popular connecting lift within the SkiWelt area – and it will soon be even more attractive, thanks to the 400-metre upwards extension of the lift and piste to the mountain station of the Filzbodenbahn lift. Nor have the environmental aspects been neglected: the mountain station is being used to produce green electricity all year round via a large photovoltaic installation.

WOW! So future-oriented – and with expanded summer offer

SkiWelt’s lift operators belong to the world’s leading systems when it comes to their summer offer: the “Mountain Experience Card”, available from 1-14 days or as a season ticket, is a pass that includes unlimited travel on the 13 lifts that run from May to November. Once at the top visitors can explore Austria's biggest mountain experience, with seven “mountain adventure worlds” and a wide range of offers and opportunities. The new Zinsbergbahn lift will run all year round as from summer 2020, thus adding a further, wonderful boost to the entire region’s summer offer.

Facts about the 8/10 CGD Zinsbergbahn – the first combination lift in the Kitzbühel Alps

Type: Combination lift with 23 x 10-person gondolas offering panoramic views

57 x 8-person seats with bubble and seat heating

(open all year round)

Speed: 6.00 m/s

Carrying capacity: 3,400 people/hr in winter / 1,035 people/hr in summer (gondolas only)

Special feature: Top station at 1,667 metres (open all year round)

Investment: EUR 15.5 m

Manufacturer: Doppelmayr

Architect/planner: AB Seilbahn Planungsbüro – Martin Aschaber

Start of construction: early 2019

Completion: beginning of winter season 2019/20

State of the art 8-person chairlift replaces 3-seater chairlift.

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 09:58:23 +0000

WOW! Super-fast and with great views – just 5 minutes up to SkiWelt’s “top” viewing point with its new panoramic terrace.

After more than 12,000,000 rides and 25,000 hours of operation, time will be called on 31 March 2019 for the 1983-vintage Fleidingbahn lift! SkiWelt Westendorf has another major project in the pipeline: it has invested EUR 15.5 million in the new 8CLD/B Fleidingbahn, complete with magnificent vistas.

The new Fleidingbahn lift will mean new levels of comfort, service and speed: planned is one of the world's most advanced 8-person chairlifts with comfort suspension, seat heating and bubbles for weather protection. At 2,730 people per hour, carrying capacity will be enormously increased and the new routing will offer skiers a longer piste for yet more fun on the slopes.

Once they have arrived at the top – the highest point of SkiWelt – skiers can appreciate a unique panorama from a whole new perspective. The top station will feature a panoramic terrace whose impressive 360° summit views take in the Wilder Kaiser, the Grossglockner and the Zillertal Alps, an invitation to breathe in and relax for a while. The viewing platform is to be integrated into the overall “Alpinorama” concept, with the focus on “relaxing and recuperating in the mountains”; this will be complemented by themed trails, due to open in summer 2019 and 2020, offering various stations along the way for visitors to chill out and consciously draw breath, gaining fresh inspiration from the experience.

What will happen to the 100 seats from the old 3-seater Fleidingbahn lift? Any interested SkiWelt Westendorf fans should quickly contact the operator, Bergbahn Westendorf: once the season closes the seats are to be sold off cheap to bidders.

Facts about the 8 CLD/B Fleidingbahn – the most modern chairlift on the market:

Type: 8-person chairlift with bubble and seat heating

Height/length: 1,539.64 m

Speed: 6.00 m/s

Transit time: 4.82 min

Carrying capacity: 2,730 people/hr

Special feature: Top station at 1,892 m with panoramic views (open all year round)

Investment: EUR 15.5 m

Manufacturer: Doppelmayr

Architect/planner: AB Seilbahn Planungsbüro – Martin Aschaber

Start of construction: early 2019

Completion: beginning of winter season 2019/20

New gondola lift for Bosnian Olympic Ski Resort Jahorina

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 17:09:38 +0000

The Jahorina ski resort, located just south of Sarajevo, became an Olympic venue in the 1950s. The 2nd ever edition of the Winter Universiade took place here in 1955. Then, during the 1984 Olympic Games, this attractive winter sports destination in the Dinaric mountains served as the venue for the women's Alpine skiing competitions. LEITNER ropeways have already completed three chairlifts in cooperation with the resort. The construction of a 10-passenger gondola lift is yet another solid investment in quality for this popular ski resort.

The Jahorina ski resort offers winter sports enthusiasts a total of 25 km of slopes. Located in close proximity to the capital Sarajevo, the resort boasts ski runs of all levels of difficulty, floodlit night skiing, and countless tourist facilities such as hotels, holiday apartments, bars, and clubs. In terms of ropeway technology, the area is currently equipped with three LEITNER ropeways 6-seater chairlifts. Further expansion will soon begin following the signing of a contract for the construction of a new 10-passenger gondola lift, which will broaden horizons for the entire area. The facility, which costs around eight million euros, will not only improve the accessibility of the ski resort, but will also ensure greater operating safety in unfavorable weather conditions. The gondola lift will carry more than 2,700 passengers per hour over a distance of one kilometer and will open up completely new views of the natural beauty of the Dinaric mountains during the three-minute ropeway journey.

The Olympic Center’s goal is to make better use of the tourist potential of the ski resort and to strengthen its position as an attractive destination in summer and winter.

New ropeway highlight on the Black Sea coast

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 08:30:04 +0000

In the Turkish coastal town of Beşikdüzü, the community will focus on the comprehensive expansion of tourist infrastructure. The new LEITNER ropeways aerial tramway, which runs directly from the beach to the panoramic Beşikdağ mountain, became the centerpiece of the overall planning and, just a few months ago, was handed over "turnkey". The ropeway not only impresses with its fascinating views, but also with a number of exciting technical details.

Thanks to the construction of the new aerial tramway, the tourism region just 40 km from the provincial capital Trabzon will now boast a star attraction visible from afar. With addition of a fast and safe connection between the coast and the popular panoramic Beşikdağ mountain, the city administration wants to make the recreational area, which is currently under development, more readily accessible.

A LEITNER ropeways aerial tramway is therefore ideal for the project. With a capacity of 55 passengers per cabin, 400 people can be transported per hour and direction of travel. The two cabins are each equipped with 16 seats in addition to LED lights on the outside of the frame and on the ceiling. In addition to state-of-the-art transport technology, the project also boasts special structural features. The ropeway spans a distance of three kilometers and is thus one of the longest ropeways on the Black Sea. It has four towers, the highest of which rises an astounding 72 meters into the air. Another challenge for the LEITNER ropeways team was the installation of the ropeway cables themselves, as an important high-voltage line at a height of 15 meters runs across the ropeway route.

The restaurant and bar at the top station, which has been integrated into the slope in an architecturally appealing way, is the true eye catcher of the facility. It comprises six floors across 35 vertical meters! In the future, guests will be able to quickly access the local recreational area and hotel, which are currently still under construction. Previously, the area could only be reached by road. But now thanks to the new aerial tramway, the journey will be faster and more environmentally friendly.

The city administration of Beşikdüzü expects the overall project centering on the new ropeway to make the entire region more attractive for tourists. Due to its pleasant climate, the area is particularly popular with tourists from the Arab states. Thanks to this new attraction, locals and tourists will even be able to experience two LEITNER ropeways highlights in the near future: Seven years ago, the company built an 8-passenger gondola lift located just two hours away by car. Still a popular recreational area in its own right, the ropeway leads up 300 m in elevation from the beach at Ordu to the Boztepe recreational area with its amorphous station buildings.

Major quality boost in the St. Johann ski resort

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 21:17:54 +0000

LEITNER ropeways maximizes family-friendliness for the Tyrolean winter sports venue.
If things go to plan for the Swedish majority owners SkiStar, the St. Johann in Tirol will be a role model for family friendly ski resorts in future. With two new LEITNER ropeways installations, the resort is moving one big step closer to this goal this winter season. The total investment for the new ropeway construction and other quality enhancements is 20 million Euros.

A 6-seater chairlift and a 10-passenger gondola lift by LEITNER ropeways are being installed to upgrade facilities at Eichenhof. What makes the project special is that the ropeways cover areas in the region with very different topographies, meeting the needs of multiple target groups. While the chairlift provides access to the upper area of the Eichenhof region with its challenging slopes, and is therefore designed for serious skiers, the new gondola lift acts as the main shuttle for beginners and pedestrians.
“For our ropeways, we are always looking for a solution that meets our specific needs 100 percent. This ranges from the choice of technology, to the perfectly coordinated implementation based on our vision. We have found the best partner for this in LEITNER ropeways,” explains Manfred Bader, Managing Director of SkiStar St. Johann.
The Eichenhof gondola lift gives children, beginners and ski schools particularly easy and comfortable access to the ski resort, and also provides largely barrier-free transport to the hut for pedestrians, thanks to its location near the car park. The 24 gondolas travel a distance of 904 meters to the “Granderschupf”, transporting 1,880 passengers per hour. From there, the new 6-seater chairlift from “Granderschupf” to above the former top station “Eichenhof 2” provides access to the ski area itself and opens up the resort to advanced skiers. The system with bubbles and seat heating transports 2,400 passengers per hour and travels a distance of 1,630 meters. Operating company SkiStar expects each visitor to use the ropeway more frequently thanks to the higher capacity and the fact that skiers no longer need to remove their skis to use it.

By combining this with the other investments, St. Johann is starting the new winter season full of vigor. The leading Scandinavian ski resort operator SkiStar is especially focused on providing a holistic winter experience, in addition to maximizing the family-friendliness. The state-of-the-art technology from LEITNER ropeways has created the perfect conditions for this.

For Per Granas, CTO of SkiStar, reliability and quality were the priority when making the decision: “For smooth operation, it is critical that the systems fulfill their performance promises in practice, and are delivered and installed on time. In this area, cooperation with LEITNER ropeways runs like clockwork!”

Funicular de Montjuïc restored to former glory

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 21:14:15 +0000

LEITNER ropeways modernizes the historic funicular in Barcelona
As a hill overlooking the Catalan capital Barcelona, Montjuïc has been attracting tourists and locals for decades. The roughly 170 meter hill in the south of the city has hosted both the World Exhibition in 1929 and the Summer Olympics in 1992. The “Funicular de Montjuïc”, a funicular built in 1928, shuttled visitors to and from the World Exhibition. It connects the “Paral·lel” subway station on Line 3 with the Avinguda Miramar on Montjuïc, where the Montjuïc Park, the Stadium and the Olympic Swimming Pool are located. The journey to the top of the hill, dominated by Barcelona’s “Castell de Montjuïc” fortress, continues with the Téléferic de Montjuïc – an 8-passenger gondola lift built by LEITNER ropeways in 2007.
The funicular line runs through tunnels for about three quarters of the route. Waagner Biró overhauled the funicular for the 1992 Summer Olympics, making it one of the most modern ropeways in Europe at the time. LEITNER ropeways modernized the ropeway from November 2015 until April 2016. Two cars were given a general overhaul, the electrical and mechanical components and the ropes were replaced, and the brakes and emergency brakes were also modernized. The funicular was also equipped with a new LeitControl control system and an audio & video system for the vehicles and stations. Carlos Sanchez, Operations Manager of the Montjuïc funicular and the Montjuïc gondola lift is delighted with the state-of-the-art LeitControl system: “The most impressive feature of LeitControl is definitely the variety and diversity of information provided at one glance.”
The two cars each hold 400 persons and climb a vertical distance of 72 meters over the 718-meter route in less than 2 minutes. With the capacity to carry 8,000 passengers per hour and direction, the “Funicular de Montjuïc” has one of the highest transport capacities in the world. The funicular, which runs daily from 7.30 am until 10 pm, transports a total of 1.5 million passengers every year.

Getting to school safely, and on time, with the ropeway

Sun, 23 Oct 2016 21:46:59 +0000

Mexico City: Mexico’s first urban ropeway is now a reality. Covering a distance of nearly five kilometers, the system consists of two gondola lifts and is helping to solve traffic problems in Mexico City’s densely populated Ecatepec de Morelos district. President Peña inaugurated the new ropeway on 4 October.

Up to 3,000 people an hour will be transported, for which the ropeways will be in operation 17 hours a day. The ropeways are directly linked to the public transport system. For the inhabitants and visitors of Ecatepec de Morelos, this connection means a considerably easier and improved quality of life. “For Ecatepec and La Cañada areas in Mexico, this ropeway represents a clean, ecological and modern solution. Instead of being stuck in a 50-minute traffic jam, the ropeway brings passengers to the main road heading into Mexico City in under 19 minutes,“ explains Paul M. Abed, head director of the project within the CONSORCIO ARISTOS S.A.B. DE C.V., the concessionaire of the project. “This is a precious time-saving (377 hours per year!) for people, which they can spend with their families instead”, Abed adds. “In addition, the La Cañada area is home to many schoolchildren and students who previously had to walk several kilometers to school every day. The ropeway is a safer solution for these youngsters. Parents can drop their kids off at the ropeway station, knowing they’ll make it to school on time and, above all, safely, instead of risking being run over or even mugged”.

Art on the station facades

The ropeway consists of two separate gondola lifts, linked by an interchange station, which connect Via Morelos with San Andrès De La Cañada. The line sections, which are 2.9 and 1.8 kilometers long respectively, feature a total of seven stations for boarding and deboarding. The stations, painted by regional and international artists, liven up the cityscape. As it was not possible to use helicopters within the municipal area, in some places special technical tools were employed for the construction of the ropeway system. For instance, a drone was used to install the rope.

Environmentally friendly transport solution

The launch of the ropeways in Mexico represents the first use of the LEITNER DirectDrive in North America. The drive system, the only one of its kind in the world, functions without a gearbox, offering significant advantages over other types of drive.

For one, it is efficient and environmentally friendly, and for another, it minimizes the ropeway’s down-time because of low wear and tear and a low risk of breakdown, which is a particularly important criterion for any kind of local public transport. In addition, it runs more quietly than conventional drives.

Abed is very happy about the new transport solution: “Urban ropeways are an environmentally friendly and efficient solution for cities faced with crowded streets and unplanned urban growth. We are proud to have built the first system in Mexico, and hope to set an example for an efficient, high-quality and reliable transport solution”.

With this new transport project, Mexico is following the successful example of other LEITNER ropeways projects that are solving traffic problems in South America’s urban areas. These projects include the 10-passenger gondola lift in Manizales, Colombia, and the system in the Colombian city of Cali, where a new ropeway has linked Siloé, one of the city’s poorest districts, to the public transport network since September 2015. LEITNER ropeways is currently constructing a gondola lift in the northern Mexico city of Torreón. Passengers will soon be able to travel by ropeway from the historic town center to the famous statue of Christ on Cerro de las Noas hill.

Poles apart: four very different installations for SkiStar in Sweden

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:33:45 +0000

In just a few short years, LEITNER has implemented four new lift installations in the ski region of Vemdalen in central Sweden. These include the longest and fastest chairlift in the country, as well as the shortest. The latter is also the first in Sweden to offer child-safety features and is the company’s latest product in the country. This project serves to highlight the successful collaboration between the Swedish firm SkiStar Group and LEITNER ropeways.

Garaventa builds Switzerlands first detachable 8-passenger chairlift

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 22:09:00 +0000

Prodkammbahnen Flumserberg AG and Garaventa are going to realize this detachable 8-seater at the Flumserberge for the the winter season 2006/07.

The new hightech detachable is replacing two older installations, a detachable quad and a fixed double chairlift.

Main technical data

Slope length 1722 m
Rise 368 m
Capacity 4000 pph
Speed 5 m/s
Ride time 6,3 min
Carrying rope 56 mm
Number of towers 16
Number of vehicles 104
Running power 758 kW