Incredible engineering at work in Switzerland were crews installed a temporary catwalk suspended high above the valley between Stechelberg and Mürren to splice a 40 meter long haul rope for the new and improved Schilthornbahn Cablecar.
The following video was published by Doppelmayr Group who are a global leader in the design, manufacture, and installation of ropeway systems. When it comes to installing chairlifts and gondolas, every job is different and requires nuanced approaches to accomplish the job safely and efficiently.
Join as the pros from Doppelmayr tackle this monumental job in inclement weather to stay on schedule to reopen the world’s steepest cablecar.
About The Schilthornbahn 20XX Project:
The Schilthornbahn 20XX project envisages a traditional cable car between Stechelberg and Mürren with a passenger capacity of 800 persons per hour. The goods and luggage logistics will be fully automated over this route. Above Mürren, Funifor cable cars will connect to the stations of Birg and Schilthorn. The Funifor system stands out thanks to its high wind stability and the fact that it allows for compact, low-rise station buildings. An integrated architectural concept for the new station buildings was drawn up with the Federal Office of Culture, the Cantonal Office for the Preservation of Monuments and the Bern Office of Cultural Heritage.
Upgrades from existing cablecar:
-3 sections Stechelberg – Mürren – Birg – Schilthorn instead of 4 sections as before.
-The Stechelberg – Mürren section will be built as a conventional cable car.
– With the other two sections Mürren – Birg and Birg – Schilthorn, there will be 2 single track Funifor cable cars, which can be operated or serviced independently of each other.
-The length of the incline has been reduced from 6,935 m to 5,685 m (–18%).
-The pure travel time will be reduced from 20.4 minutes today to 11.8 minutes in the future.
-The number of connections (Gimmelwald) can be reduced.
-According to the timetable, the full travel time from Stechelberg to Schilthorn can be reduced from 32 minutes to 22 minutes.
-The passenger capacity will be increased from around 400 persons/hr. (concession for 600 persons/hr.) to around 800 persons/hr. in the future.
-The connection times at the changing stations can be optimised, so that the journey time can always be maintained at well under 30 minutes (currently at peak times > 50 minutes)!
-The Schilthorn will now be accessible 365 days a year!
