Post by Gondola Project
- Japan inaugurated its first urban ropeway system, the Yokohama Air Cabin on April 22. The 630 meter long cable car will connect to stations near major tourist areas. The system has a capacity to move 2,400 people per hour per direction (pphpd) in the 36 eight-person gondolas. The ticket for a 5-minute one-way ride is 1,000 yen ($9.20 USD) for adults and 500 yen for children.
- Waterville Valley Resort in Mississippi will get its first detachable 6-seater chairlift. The new chairlift will replace the 1988 White Peaks Express. Construction is going to be completed in two construction seasons and the resort plans the lift to begin operations in the 2022-2023 ski season. The detachable 6-seater will move 3,000 people an hour at a speed of 5m/s.
- Switzerland gets its first fully autonomous gondola, the Kummebahn. The Kummebahn is Doppelmayr’s AURO cable car system that can operate without an operator. The entire system is monitored with smart technology and connected to the network through cameras and sensors. The 3.2 km gondola connects from Tufternkehr, via Wyss Gufer Central Station, to Rothorn moving 1,500 people per hour in 56 10-person cabins.
- The new Sky Tram in Belgium is conducting its load tests. Every new lift must conduct a load test to simulate the weight of passengers and pass a variety of tests before beginning operation. The Sky Tram is scheduled to be inaugurated in May. Leitner POMA will be training staff for the next six months.
- The Sea to Sky Gondola will reopen with not only a new haul rope and cabins, but state-of-the-art security. There is not a set date for reopening the system located in British Columbia, but it’s anticipated it will be ready by Summer. Cabins from Switzerland are still on route. The security system implemented will make the Sea to Sky gondola the most protected lift system in the world. See a post of the 2019 sabotage incident here and a previous related Roundup post here.
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