The new gondola cabin met with great interest at the event in Zurich. Many passers-by took the opportunity to sit down in the gondola and take a closer look at the particularly large windows and the modern interior design. "Passengers will be able to enjoy an unique view of the famous Eiger North Wall from the gondola during the 15-minute trip, thanks to the windows, which are unparalleled in the world," said Urs Kessler, Director of Jungfrau Railways.
Arno Inauen, CEO of Garaventa, added: "The new Eiger Express tricable gondola is the most modern cableway of its type and offers passengers an unforgettable ride experience. To ensure that the Eiger North Wall remains constantly in view, all cabins have heated windows. The cabins, which have individual heated seats, WLAN and infotainment screens, provide passengers with the utmost comfort."
Award-winning gondola cabin
The new tricable cabin, ATRIA, made by CWA Constructions SA in Olten – a subsidiary of the Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group – has won the "Red Dot Design Award 2020" for its convincing overall design. The prestigious prize is a seal awarded for high-quality design and is only given to products of superb design.
When designing the new cabin and its interior elements each detail was devised with the specific aim of offering passengers maximum transparency and vision from within and without. The slim aluminium structure and the large panoramic windows define the cabin's external appearance and offer an unobstructed view of the surrounding area. In the interior, ergonomic forms and sustainable materials contribute towards the well-being and comfort of the passengers.
In operation from 5 December 2020
From 5 December 2020, the heaviest tricable gondola ever built, the Eiger Express, will transport guests from the terminal in Grindelwald Grund to the Eigergletscher station in 15 minutes. In future, 44 gondolas, each with 26 seats, as well as a VIP gondola, will be able to transport 2,200 passengers every hour. This brings the winter sports areas and the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe within reach of everyone. The modern terminal in Grindelwald Grund, with various shops, public transport connections, a multi-storey car park and the two new gondola cableways, Eiger Express and the Grindelwald-Männlichen Gondola Cableway (GGM) really make a mark on the tourist landscape.
With the CHF 470 million V-Cableway project Jungfrau Railways together with the GGM are providing a positive impetus for the Jungfrau region, the Canton of Bern and Switzerland, especially in these extraordinary times. With the early opening in December, winter sports enthusiasts will have the opportunity to start the season early with the new Eiger Express.
Current work on the V-Cableway construction sites
Interior work is currently continuing at all construction sites of the V-Cableway. This includes both the multi-storey car park and the terminal in Grindelwald Grund, as well as the new summit station of the Eiger Express and the new third track for the Jungfrau Railway.
Work on the cable hoist for the Eiger Express has already been completed. The large incline of 1,385 metres and the length of the track at 6,480 metres required seven track supports and suspension cables with a diameter of 58 millimetres. The cable hoist work lasted from the end of April until the middle of August. The preparatory work for the cable hoist took months. The approximately 400 tonnes of assembly tools include cable winches, protective scaffolding for rail and road crossings, and auxiliary supports. The total of four suspension cables and the cable hoist were transported to Grindelwald in several heavy transports.
