26
May

2023

Weekly Roundup: Sightseeing Gondola or Year-Round Resort? Two Visions of the Future of the Canadian Cascades

Post by Gondola Project

The province of British Columbia must soon decide on which project will soon make its home among the peaks near Bridal Falls and Mt. Cheam: a world-class, sightseeing gondola or an all-season ski resort. Though both projects would bring a new wave of tourism to the region, each has their own advantages and disadvantages. Image credit to Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.


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19
May

2023

Weekly Roundup: Ireland’s Sole Cable Car Soon to Return to Service

Post by Gondola Project

The destructive Storm Barra knocked Ireland’s pride and joy, the Dursey Island cable car, out of commission during March of last year. Now, repairs to the cableway are nearly complete, and soon visitors will once again be able to ride the ropes to the idyllic isle. Image credit to Fabian Walden (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr.
  • If the Burnaby Mountain Gondola project goes as planned, construction could begin in 2026. The projected timeline was outlined in Infrastructure BC’s major public infrastructure projects list that notifies about potential upcoming procurement opportunities. For the gondola project specifically, the procurement process for a design and construction contractor could begin in 2025. The project is currently completing the business case and working on funding to continue advancing the project. See a related Weekly Roundup here.  SCJ Alliance, the parent company of the Gondola Project, has been retained to provide gondola expertise for this project.
  • The retired gondola cabins from the Skyline have been sold or given away. A total of 15 cabins were sold in an auction that raised $103,000. That money is being donated to two different organizations, Branches Charitable Trust and the Whakaipu Wilding Control Group. A cabin was given to Skyline Queenstown’s best customer, 21-year-old Louise, who has been riding the system since she was a toddler. The $250 million redevelopment project is still in the works. See a related Weekly Roundup here.
  • The Pakistani city of Hyderabad is considering cable cars for part of their public transit. The planning is being led by multiple public agencies to find options to strengthen public transit in a cost effective and environmentally friendly way. Currently there is no specific project but planning efforts to integrate cable cars and light rail transit (LRT) with the existing railway system.
  • The modifications to the Dursey cable car are almost complete. The system still needs to undergo a load test, which requires the system to be loaded to its maximum capacity and test all brakes, switches, etc. Once the load test and detailed inspection are completed the system will just need to wait for approval to operate from the Commission for Railway Regulation. See a related Weekly Roundup here.


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12
May

2023

Weekly Roundup: A Proposed Ski Resort and Chondola System to Come to Valdez, AK

Post by Gondola Project

This new ski area, called East Peak, hopes to build a unique kind of aerial transit for its patrons: a chondola, that is, a combination chairlift-gondola. The hybrid will feature both traditional chairs for skiers, as well as cabins for pedestrians, allowing the line to stay open as a year-round attraction. Image credit: “Columbia Peak near Valdez” by Gusjer, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • The Burgberg cable car in Bad Harzburg has been refurbished. After major modifications, the 1929 cable car reopened. The system, which is the oldest transportation method in the Harz Mountains, has a new hydraulic speed and braking system, new engine and new controls. The renovations cost 1 million euros.
  • A rendered video shows the journey of the proposed Swansea gondola. The video shows the entire trip and clearly shows the proposed development on top of Kilvey Hill. The video was intended to address misconceptions about the project, such as the visual impact being less intrusive than anticipated. The project is still awaiting approval from Swansea’s planning committee. See a related Weekly Roundup here.
  • The state of Alaska has given preliminary approval for a new ski area in the city of Valdez. The popular fishing and oil city has become a great heli-skiing destination. The proposed ski resort, East Peak, hopes to build a 3-mile chondola, a system that combines chairlift and gondola cabins. The project is intended to be a year-round attraction. Approval is anticipated for later this month, and although the developer has already spent 1 million dollars, there is still much more work to be done. 


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05
May

2023

Weekly Roundup: Aerial Transit May Be in the Cards in Oshawa, Canada

Post by Gondola Project

One day, a cable car line may stretch across the skies of Oshawa, Canada, as part of a Rapid Transit system that seeks to alleviate traffic and congestion and improve public transit in the city. An above-ground monorail, however, may end up being less costly and more probable for the city. Image credit to Frunze103, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Santo Domingo opens a new cable car, Los Alcarrizos Cable Car. The 4.02-kilometer monocable detachable gondola (MDG) has four stations and 163 cabins. The system will help with transportation and commute times. The system was inaugurated by the President and was opened to the public.

Maula Kali Cable Car in Gaindakot, Nepal is now open. The MDG travels across 1.2 kilometers and takes riders from Gaindakot up to the Hindu Temple Maula Kalika. The system consists of six towers and 12 cabins. The project took approximately 19 months to complete and cost Rs1.5 billion ($18 million USD).

A cable car is being considered in a case study for Simcoe Street Rapid Transit Project in Oshawa, Canada. The system would run from Lake Ontario to Highway 407. The study is also looking into designating two center lanes for rapid transit or a light rail system. While a gondola may be more expensive, they would not lose parking and travel lanes. 



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28
Apr

2023

Weekly Roundup: Take to the Skies with Pikachu and Friends on Board the Singapore Cable Car

Post by Gondola Project

Singapore’s iconic cableway celebrates fifty years of operation with Pokémon-inspired decorations in and on their cabins, as well as at the base stations. Image credits to Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.


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21
Apr

2023

Weekly Roundup: A New Era Begins for New Zealand’s Famous Monocable

Post by Gondola Project

The infamous four-seater “bubble cabins” of New Zealand’s Queenstown Skyline have completed their last journey up to the top of Bob’s Peak; soon they will be replaced by more spacious ten-seaters capable of ferrying up to 3,000 people per hour along the scenic ropeway. Image credits: “Skyline Queenstown Gondola” by Skyline Enterprises NZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.


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14
Apr

2023

Weekly Roundup: Afyonkarahisar’s Dream Nears Reality as Progress Continues on Turkish Cable Car Line

Post by Gondola Project

Afyonkarahisar Castle, a historical fortification located in Western Turkey, will soon be home to a cable car that will connect it to nearby Erdal Akar Park. Once the ropeway is complete, citizens and tourists alike will be able to take a scenic ride between the two points and enjoy a unique view of the city. Image credit: “Burgberg Afyonkarahisar 03” by Ingeborg Simon, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Dursey Cable Car’s opening date has been postponed.  The cable car had been set to open on Easter, but was delayed due to bad weather and sea conditions that make essential repairs challenging. The system was closed in March of 2022 to replace the towers and was supposed to reopen in November of 2022. Unfortunately, delays continue, and officials now say the system will be open to the public by early April. Once the new track ropes are installed, the system can be inspected. Once the system receives approval from the Commission for Railway Regulations, the system will be able to begin operation once again. See a related weekly roundup here.
  • The Afyonkarahisar Castle cable car in Turkey is under construction. The cable car will travel 585 meters from Akar Park to Karahisar Castle. The system will have two stations and eight cabins. The excavations, building foundations, and utilities have been completed, and the system is anticipated to open in August.
  • Summit Triple is to be replaced by Mountaineer Express at Attitash Mountain Resort in New Hampshire. Summit Triple did its last loop before retiring to be replaced by a high-speed quad supplied by Leitner-Poma. The new lift will increase the capacity from 1500 people per hour (pph) to 2400 pph. The Mountaineer Express will decrease the ride time from the previous 16-to-18-minute ride to 6 minutes.
  • Dominica will be building the world’s longest monocable. The 6.6 km monocable detachable gondola (MDG) will connect the world’s second-largest boiling lake to the capital city Roseau. The system will increase accessibility and job opportunities while preserving the island’s cultural and natural heritage. Doppelmayr will be constructing the project.


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