Post by nickchu

• The construction of the world’s first cross-border cable car between Russia and China has stalled due to European Union sanctions on Russia. The Blagoveshchensk-Heihe cable car will connect the two countries with a 973-meter cable car. The construction has stopped because the cable car equipment is coming from the French company, Leitner, and cannot be shipped. Cable cars are classified as a luxury item and luxury items are under sanctions. Construction began in April of 2021 and was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022. The project investors are currently looking for alternative suppliers to keep the project moving. See a related Weekly Roundup here.
• The Table Mountain in Africa recently reopened after being shut down for five weeks for annual maintenance. The work was carried out by a team of specialist riggers from cable car and rope manufactures in Europe, along with the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) internal technical team. The biggest challenge of the annual maintenance was while the system was out of operation, workers had to stay at the top station for the duration. Completed work included adjustments of the track ropes and haul rope, replacement of cabin 1’s main bracket, and servicing the hydraulic brake system.
• There are calls in Nepal to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles and number of approvals needed for ropeways that transport people.  Feasibility studies have been conducted in 62 places, many showing great potential with their lower costs to build and maintain than roads, as well as suitability for the mountain dominant terrains. Currently investors need to get approval from 21 different government authorities, yet interest remains high with over a dozen cable car services either in the process of commercial operation, construction, or a feasibility study, according to the article.