Technical Specifications for the Aerial Tramway
The gondola takes you quickly from Reigoldswil to Wasserfallen and brings you back just as reliably in the evening. 3,600 meters of cable, 384 meters of elevation gain, 26 gondolas in service: Just hop into the next available gondola and off you go.
The fact that this ride is so uneventful is thanks to technology working behind the scenes. A single cable supports and pulls all the cabins at the same time. At the stations, the cabins automatically detach from the cable and move at a walking pace through the boarding and disembarking areas. That’s why you can board comfortably even with a stroller, sled, or dog, and if you need more time, the staff will hold the lift for you.
Safety is not a matter of trust, but of regulations. The facility is subject to the oversight of the Federal Office of Transportation, which also inspects it regularly. Our qualified staff monitors and inspects the entire facility in accordance with the regulations.
You can find all of the facility’s key figures on this page.
Equipment and Vehicles
The powerful motor drives the haul rope, causing the cabins to glide silently upward. When each gondola is fully occupied with 6 people, we can transport up to 650 guests per hour to the Wasserfallen.
| Information | Value |
|---|---|
| Design | coupled monorail |
| Commissioning | September 30, 2006 |
| maximum driving speed | 5.0 m/s (18 km/h) |
| Flow rate | 650 people per hour in each direction |
| Number of cabins | 26 with 6 seats each |
| Engine Power | 215 kW |
| Annual electricity consumption | approx. 200,000 kWh |
| Annual operating hours | approx. 2,500 |
Route and Elevation Profile
The slope is not uniformly steep. The first section is relatively flat; in the middle section, the slope becomes significantly steeper; and at its steepest point, the track reaches a 73 percent grade. Averaged over its entire length, this amounts to about 20 percent.
| Information | Value |
|---|---|
| Reigoldswil Valley Station | 541 m above sea level |
| Wasserfallen Mountain Station | 925 meters above sea level |
| Elevation difference | 384 meters |
| Slope of the roadway | 1,941 m |
| Maximum Grade | 73% |
| Maximum height above the ground | 40 m |
| Number of supports | 11 |
Suppliers and Manufacturers
Here you will find the manufacturers, suppliers, and regional partner companies that made the construction of the new gondola possible.
| Equipment Section | Supplier/Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Cable Car Technology | Garaventa AG |
| Control | Frey AG Stans |
| Conveyor cable | Fatzer AG |
| Cabins | CWA |
| Construction Project Management | Sutter AG Engineering and Design Firm |
| Steel Construction | Ritz AG |
| Earthwork/Foundations | Gysin Civil Engineering, Inc. |
| Buildings | Ardiba AG |
FAQ
The track is 1,941 meters long. Along this route, the train climbs 384 meters in elevation, from 541 to 925 meters above sea level.
Between 7 and 12 minutes, depending on the speed. During normal operation, the train deliberately runs more slowly to reduce wear and tear and prolong the riding experience.
A maximum of 5 meters per second, which is equivalent to 18 kilometers per hour. In everyday life, we rarely reach this speed. We usually travel at 2.5 meters per second.
Six people or a maximum of 480 kilograms. A child counts as one person. There are a total of 26 cabins in service.
At maximum operating speed, 650 people per hour in each direction.
At the steepest point, 73 percent. Averaged over the entire length, about 20 percent.
At its highest point, it is about 40 meters.
11 supports
A single cable both supports and pulls the cabins. At the stations, the clamps automatically disengage from the cable, allowing the cabins to move slowly through the boarding and alighting areas. Once outside, they re-engage with the cable and accelerate to operating speed.
Since September 30, 2006. It replaced the 1956 train, which had operated on the same route for fifty years.