Cable cars can serve more than just tourists – they are a form of urban mobility.
Today, the many use cases for cable cars are being recognised, and in turn, so is their popularity. Mexico City opened its third cable car line in September 2024, Paris will open its first in 2025, and more cities from Lima, Peru to Varanasi, India are expected to soon follow. These cable cars will serve both residents and tourists and either connect urban centres to suburbs that are currently underserved or relieve congestion on other modes.
Cable cars are cabins which use cables for propulsion, either suspended in the air, on tracks at ground level, or even underground. Often, you’ll find cable cars traversing challenging geography such as rivers, mountains, or even ground-level traffic.
Essentially, aerial cable cars use the available space above ground to better connect suburbs and harder to reach destinations, all while remaining separate from the traffic below. On the other hand, funiculars (or inclined elevators) often take advantage of especially steep gradients, which usually prohibit the easy construction of other modes.
The growing interest in cable cars is one of the reasons why UITP is forming a Cable Car Working Group! In the group, global experts and professionals from operators will assemble to share best practices and share insights on the mode’s top topics. Like this, the sector has a platform so that the challenges and benefits of cable cars can be better explored.
The group has yet to meet – it is still in the early phases – though potential topics of discussion include: