Linz's cable car project: Is there hope for new local transport?

Linz's cable car project: Is there hope for new local transport?

An ambitious project is on hold in Linz: the planned city cable car. Former mayor Klaus Luger announced in April 2024 the realization of the project, which was intended to create the connection between the Ebelsberg train station and the future Hafencity. This cable car would be 8.4 kilometers long and could include an extension to Lake Plesching.

However, the current status of the project is anything but rosy. The new mayor Prammer had also confirmed that he wanted to stick to the cable car, but the matter is now almost dead. Bureaucracy has severely hindered similar developments in Graz, Munich and Vienna. As Linza reports, the cable car should have reached a height of up to 100 meters above the ground.

Travel time and capacity

The planned journey time from VOEST in just nine minutes would have accommodated between 40,000 and 45,000 passengers every day. The plan is for each cabin to carry up to 35 people, meaning a capacity of up to 5,500 passengers per hour in each direction. For comparison, a tram could only carry around 3,000 passengers in the same period.

With a total investment of 860 million euros, Linz also faces the challenge of making local transport climate-neutral. This investment is financed by the federal government, the state of Upper Austria and the city of Linz. Particularly worth mentioning are the planned projects such as the regional light rail and the trolleybus axis, which are intended to complement the tram in Linz. Linz.at clarifies that the regional light rail will cost a total of 667 million euros, followed by 193 million euros for the trolleybus line.

Cable cars as a future solution?

The idea of ​​urban cable cars, which should be promoted as a sustainable mobility option in local public transport, has gained in importance in recent years. According to BMV, cable cars could be an environmentally friendly, fast and cost-effective connection in urban areas. These have the advantage that they run around without a timetable and do not require any structural obstacles.

A guide from the BMV to support municipalities in implementing such projects shows that the advantages of cable cars should not be underestimated. They save space and can serve as a flexible solution for bridging various urban obstacles.

Given this information, it remains to be seen whether and when the Linz city cable car will finally come out of the planning phase. Those responsible are currently required to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles in order to give this future project a chance.