The Moscow cable car (Russian: Московская канатная дорога, romanized: Moskovskaya kanatnaya doroga) is a cable car that crosses the Moskva River in Moscow, Russia. The original cable car that ran over the river was demolished in 2016, and construction on the replacement began in 2017. The new cable car has been in operation since 2018, with part of the route running along the Vorobyovy Gory slopes, where a ski lift once stood.
First Cable Car Line (1953–2016)
The first cable car line was built in 1953 to provide access to the ski slope at Sparrow Hills. It was 340 meters long and connected two stations: a station at the foot of the mountains and a station near the observation platform.[1]
In 2016, the cable car was deemed to be beyond repair, and was demolished as part of a reconstruction program of the sports complex at Sparrow Hills. [2]
New Cable Car Line (2018–)
The new cable car project was started in January 2017. Construction began in May 2017 and was completed in November 2018. The new cable car was officially opened on November 26, 2018 and became available to passengers the following day. The new Moscow cable car is 720 meters long, with three stations.[3]
The new system was constructed locally using machinery from Bartholet Maschinenbau.[4]
Stations
The new line contains three stations: Luzhniki (Лужники), on the east bank of the Moskva, Worobjowy Gory (Воробьёвы горы, "Sparrow Hills") on the west, and Kosygina (Косыгина) at the observatory platform. [5]
Luzhniki
Luzhniki Station lies near the Luzhniki Stadium. The lower floor of the station building contains multiple cafes and kiosks, and boarding takes place on the upper floor. A lift was later added to the station for accessibility. The station is built from polished steel panels and tempered glass.[6]
Worobjowy Gory (Sparrow Hills)
The station at the foot of Sparrow Hills is used for renting sports equipment. There are currently plans to add a small museum in the future.[7]
Kosygina
The Kosygina station lies directly next to the observatory platform, on the same height as the main building of Moscow State University.
Description
There are 35 covered gondolas, each with eight seats. The gondolas were designed by Porsche Design Studio, and contain media screens and LED illumination, as well as hooks for bicycles, skis, and snowboards. Passengers are also able to use audio guides in four languages (English, Chinese, German, and Russian).
There are also 10 additional chairlifts with four seats each for athletes. They run on the smaller cable section between Vorobyovskaya Embankment and the observation point.
The cable cars can carry up to 1,600 passengers every hour, and run all year. The system is built to withstand wind, rain, and snow. The cable cars have become a local attraction and are often used by skiers and snowboarders. In December 2019, it was reported that a total of 1.8 million passengers have used the Moscow cable car since its opening a year prior.[8]
References
- ^ На Воробьёвых горах началась реконструкция Большого трамплина
- ^ Демонтаж канатной дороги на Воробьёвых горах...
- ^ "Moscow Opens First-Ever Cable Car Line at Luzhniki". themoscowtimes.com.
- ^ "Luschniki-Seilbahn", Wikipedia (in German), 2024-06-02, retrieved 2024-11-29
- ^ "Воробьевы горы и Лужники свяжет канатная дорога". Комплекс градостроительной политики и строительства города Москвы. 2018-01-24.
- ^ Зеркальная станция канатной дороги появится рядом с «Лужниками»
- ^ Канатная дорога соединит Воробьевы горы со стадионом «Лужники»
- ^ "Бесплатно прокатиться на канатной дороге над Москвой-рекой можно будет 10 декабря". Сайт Москвы (in Russian). 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2023-10-03.