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Teleférico de Santiago
13
Jan
Jan
2017
System Dossier: Teleférico Metropolitano (Santiago Cable Car)
Teleférico Metropolitano of Santiago. Image by Wikipedia user Sfs90.
Parque Metropolitano – located in the Chilean capital of Santiago – is the fourth largest urban park in the world encompassing over 700 acres of land. Attractions, such as the Japanese botanical gardens and the National Zoo provide opportunities for leisurely fun and relaxation. Adding to the park’s appeal is the Teleférico Metropolitano, a cable car system providing transportation throughout the park allowing riders to experience its luscious gardens and pools from an aerial perspective.
Originally constructed in 1980, the Teleférico Metropolitano operated for 29 years before mechanical failures prompted the gondola’s indefinite suspension. However, through public financing, the gondola was ultimately re-opened in 2016. This upgraded cable car line is an MDG system, which is common amongst modern cable car systems. The gondola’s O&M contract was awarded to Chilean tour and excursion agency, Turistk — the same company who operates Funicular Santiago and the city’s Hop-On, Hop-off buses.
A round trip takes approximately 15 minutes and passes through 3 stations: Oasis, Tupahue, and Cumbre – all newly renovated for the re-opening of the cable car. The name of the station Cumbre translated to English means Summit. This indicates the station’s location on top of the Cerro San Cristóbal – a hill overlooking the city and site of the Virgin Mary Statue. Since opening in late November, the cable car has attracted over 80,000 riders in a month. It’s safe to say that many locals and tourists are happy that one of Santiago’s great icons is back!
| Year opened (new) | 2016 |
| Length (km) | 2 |
| Line capacity (pphpd) | 1000 |
| Stations | 3 |
| Speed (m/s) | 5 |
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11
May
May
2016
Teleférico de Santiago to Reopen in July 2016
After being shut down for 7 years, Teleférico de Santiago (or Teleférico Parque Metropolitano) is now scheduled to reopen in July 2016.
Teleférico de Santiago. Image from biobiochile.
This 2.0km cable car was originally built in 1980 and connected users to the largest urban park in Latin America, Parque Metropolitano. Soon after it opened, it became a popular attraction for both visitors and locals looking for recreation in the Chilean capital.
Since it was closed for modernization in June 2009, the system has been completely updated with new cabins, ropes, drive systems and control devices. To improve the level of service, the system’s capacity and speed has been upgraded to 1,000 pphpd and 5 m/s (from 960 pphpd and 4 m/s).
The system’s 3 stations – Oasis, Tupahue, and Summit – provide users with fun and easy access to different parts of the large greenspace including gardens, pools, and a cultural center.
At the top station, visitors arrive at the Cerro San Cristobal (845m, second highest point in city) and have sweeping views of Santiago and the Andes. From here, visitors can take another cable-driven system, the Funicular de Santiago, back to the Pio Nono park entrance.
As the park is preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday, officials and residents alike are excited at the prospects of once again riding in one of the city’s most beloved attraction.
For those who can’t wait until July, a video of the journey can be seen here.
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