Jungfrau Railways, Switzerland’s largest mountain railway company, performed the official opening of the V-Cableway on Friday 4 December which will now provide a quicker and more comfortable  journey to the winter sports area around Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg, as well as to the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe.

UP, UP AND AWAY: The Eiger Express can transport 4000 people an hour

The Eiger Express tricable gondola and terminal, includes new shops, ski depots, a public transport station, and a car park. Skiers and snowboarders will now save 47 minutes on their journey, thanks to the direct public transport link with the Berner Oberland-Bahn (BOB) stop at the terminal in Grindelwald Grund. The two cableways (the Eiger Express and the Männlichen gondola) can transport 4,000 guests per hour.

Under normal circumstances a large crowd would have gathered to celebrate the opening, but in these covid restricted times it was left to a small group of officials and two eagles to perform the ceremony.

A launch film shows Victor, one of the eagles, providing a bird’s-eye view of the V-Cableway route, before Sherkan the eagle flew through the terminal with scissors for cutting the ribbon. Please find a video of Victor’s flight by CLICKING HERE

OPENING CEREMONY: Urs Kessler, Walter Thurnherr, Christoph Ammann, and Thomas Bieger cut the ribbon with scissors delivered by an eagle

Jungfrau Railways director, Urs Kessler, said: “With dedication and unbelievable commitment, with a great deal of thought for sustainability and a love of detail, a great cableway has been created along the mountain”.

The Eiger Express and terminal was constructed with landscape and sustainability in mind. The new lift transports guests from Grindelwald to the Eigergletscher station in 15 minutes, with the cableway requiring only seven supports. This is achieved thanks to tricable (3S) technology, which allows large spans to be traversed with just a few supports, helped by two track ropes. This system also ensures wind stability, and no paths have to be cut through forests. 

Chairman of the Board at Jungfraubahn Holding AG, Thomas Bieger, says: “The coronavirus crisis will be followed by an era of new growth in international tourism”.

The V-Cableway will benefit tourism in the Jungfrau region as a whole and helps make it a year-round destination for Swiss tourism. 

Categories: News, Switzerland