Doppelmayr completes the world’s biggest urban ropeway network

La Paz and El Alto celebrate their tenth ropeway line

 

The tenth line belonging to the world’s biggest urban ropeway network is now in service. The Línea Plateada (silver line) is the last to be opened as part of the biggest ropeway contract in Doppelmayr/Garaventa’s company history. The 33-kilometer network is comprised of detachable gondola lifts and constitutes the principal mode of transport for Bolivia’s adjacent metropolises La Paz and El Alto. The Línea Plateada closes the loop, which means that all lines are now interconnected. On March 9, Doppelmayr/Garaventa joined Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma and the operating company, Mi Teleférico, to celebrate this milestone for a major mobility project.

 

Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma inaugurated the tenth line in the world’s biggest urban ropeway network in an official ceremony attended by the ropeway operating company, Mi Teleférico, along with Doppelmayr/Garaventa. The inauguration on March 9, 2019, marked a particularly proud day for César Dockweiler, CEO of Mi Teleférico: “This project has made history. It has set a precedent for urban ropeways. Nowhere else in the world can you find a network of this size.” Hanno Ulmer, executive director of Doppelmayr Holding SE, expressed his thanks on behalf of the ropeway manufacturer: “The history of this project began in 2012. Today we see satisfied passengers who are experiencing how this safe and comfortable means of transport can make a positive contribution toward their quality of life. We are very proud to be part of this project. On behalf of Doppelmayr/Garaventa, we wish you all great enjoyment with this innovative means of transport.” The Línea Plateada is an important element in the urban infrastructure of El Alto and La Paz: By connecting the red, blue, purple and yellow lines, it completes the last segment of the ropeway circuit. This means that all the lines are now interconnected. “Impressive! An installation that integrates the populations of La Paz and El Alto,” said a delighted President Evo Morales Ayma while making his inspection trip on the Línea Plateada on March 6, 2019.

 

Modern ten-passenger cabins enable up to 3,000 passengers an hour to glide in each direction between the stations 16 de Julio and Mirador. The new line runs via the intermediate station Faro Murillo – the biggest station building in the network covering a total surface area of 10,000 m². Here, passengers can change to the Línea Morada (purple line), which opened in September 2018.

 

 

Since 2014, ropeways from Doppelmayr/Garaventa have been part of everyday life for the residents of La Paz and El Alto. These installations make it easier for people to get from A to B, reduce traveling time and guarantee that they will get where they want to go on time. 

The ropeway network encompassing the two South American metropolises consists of ten lines with an overall length of approximately 33 kilometers. Since the first ropeway opened in May 2014, almost 200 million passengers have been carried to date. Every day, Mi Teleférico is used by some 300,000 people – as a means of getting to work, going shopping, going to school or accessing leisure time activities. The ropeways are also very popular with tourists and recommended as a top attraction by Tripadvisor

 

 

Bolivia’s ropeway network is a reference for the use of ropeways as a means of public transport in the urban environment. “We see great potential for this application worldwide. The ropeways in La Paz and El Alto highlight the many benefits this means of transport has to offer and the environmentally friendly and efficient contribution it can make to improving mobility in cities,” says Thomas Pichler, managing director of Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH.

 

Route length 2,720 m 

Vertical rise 33.75 m 

Speed 5 m/s 

Capacity 3,000 pphpd 

Trip time 11.62 min 

Carriers 117 

Opened 3/9/2019 

 

Ropeway system used: detachable 10-passenger gondola lift 

Number of lines in service: 10 

Total length: approx. 33 km 

Total number of cabins: 1,396 

Total number of stations: 26 

Number of passengers carried: 

- Total from May 2014 to March 2019: almost 200 million passengers 

- Current daily average: 250,000 to 300,000 passengers