What is a cable car: definition, operation and lift types

How a cable car works

The operation of a cable car is based on a system of steel cables that perform different functions. The carrying rope is strung between the upper and lower stations and supports the weight of the cabins: it is fixed relative to the vehicles, whose bogies roll along it. The hauling rope is instead in continuous motion and pulls the cabins along the carrying rope. In large installations there is also a counter rope that closes the traction loop in the lower section and maintains system tension.

In reversible cable cars (aerial tramways), two cabins are connected to opposite ends of the same hauling rope: when one goes up the other comes down, and the system exploits the counterweight principle to reduce energy consumption. The cabins cross midway on a deflection sheave. This system offers the greatest stability in strong wind conditions, because the cabins have a robust structure and significant weight.

The drive machinery is located in the upper station: this houses the winch, the main electric motor, the service and emergency brakes, and the electronic control systems. The lower station (return or tensioning station) contains the hydraulic counterweights that maintain cable tension. Between the two stations, intermediate supports in steel or concrete hold the cables when the terrain presents elevation changes or natural obstacles.

Modern cabins can carry from 4 to over 200 passengers. The most recent aerial tramways reach speeds of 8-12 metres per second, with a typical travel time of 4-8 minutes for lines of 2-5 km. Hourly capacity ranges from 600 persons/hour for classic cable cars to over 3,000 p/h for large continuous-movement gondolas.

Types of lift systems

The term "cable car" in common usage refers to several different types of lift systems. Technically, there are distinct categories with different characteristics:

Difference between cable car and funicular

The main distinction is the travel path. A cable car travels through the air, suspended from cables strung between stations often kilometres apart. The cabins never touch the ground between stations and can cross valleys, rivers, forests and glaciers. A funicular instead travels on fixed ground rails, like a cable-hauled train, following the terrain profile. This is why funiculars are often found in urban settings (e.g. the Opicina Tramway in Trieste) or on short slopes with dense vegetation where intermediate supports cannot be installed.

Another significant technical difference is the tensioning system. Cable cars use heavy vertical counterweights to maintain cable tension, while funiculars use the cars themselves as counterweight: when one car goes up, the other comes down, balancing the system without additional external ballast. Modern cable cars reach much higher speeds (up to 12 m/s versus 5-8 m/s for funiculars) and cover greater distances.

The most famous cable cars in Italy

Italy boasts some of the most spectacular cable cars in the world, many of which reach altitudes above 3,000 metres in the Alps. Here are the most significant by altitude and historical importance:

For the complete technical specifications of each installation (altitude, vertical drop, hourly capacity, manufacturer) visit the complete archive of Italian cable cars.

How to read a cable car technical sheet

The technical sheets on Funivie.it contain the key parameters for evaluating each installation:

Altitude (m)

The height above sea level of the upper station. Above 3,000 m you enter glacier territory, with year-round snow but thinner atmosphere.

Vertical drop (m)

The altitude difference between the lower and upper stations. A vertical drop exceeding 1,000 m indicates a major tourist installation.

Hourly capacity (p/h)

The maximum number of people transported per hour in one direction. Classic aerial tramways: 600-1,200 p/h. Modern gondolas: 2,000-3,600 p/h.

Line length (m)

The distance between the terminal stations. Determines travel time: a 5,000 m cable car typically takes 4-7 minutes.

Cable car manufacturers

The global lift market is dominated by two main groups. The Austrian-Swiss Doppelmayr/Garaventa group and the Italian Leitner group, headquartered in Vipiteno (BZ). Leitner also acquired the French manufacturer Poma. In Italy, the historic manufacturers Ceretti e Tanfani of Milan and Agudio of Turin (now part of the Leitner group) operated, along with Hölzl of Lana d'Adige (now Doppelmayr Italia). The South Tyrolean engineer Luis Zuegg and the German engineer Adolf Bleichert are considered the pioneers of modern ropeway engineering.

History of cable cars in Italy

The first Italian cable cars date back to the early 1900s. The Colle Cable Car in Bolzano, inaugurated in 1908, was the first passenger installation in Central Europe and is still in operation today. In the 1930s, the tourist development of the Italian Alps led to the construction of numerous cable cars to connect isolated villages to skiable peaks.

The Etna Cable Car, opened in 1966, was the first cable car in the world built on an active volcano. Rebuilt multiple times due to eruptions (1971, 1983, 1985, 1990, 2001-2002), it testifies to the engineering challenge of operating in extreme conditions. In the 1990s the sector saw strong consolidation: the numerous historic manufacturers were absorbed by the two current multinational groups.

The Winter Olympics in Cortina 1956 and the upcoming Milano-Cortina 2026 edition have been catalysts for the modernisation of installations. The Tofana in Cortina, inaugurated in 1939 and completely renewed in 2009, is an example of how historic installations have been brought up to the most advanced technological standards.

Cable cars above 3,000 metres

Italian cable cars exceeding 3,000 metres in altitude are a small but exceptional group of immense alpinistic value. At these altitudes, atmospheric conditions change radically: pressure is about 70% of that at sea level, average annual temperatures drop below -10°C and wind speeds can exceed 100 km/h. Anyone susceptible to altitude sickness should ascend gradually and limit physical exertion during the first hours at altitude.

• Plateau Rosà Cable Car (Cervinia): 3,480 m — the highest in Italy, year-round snow
• Skyway Monte Bianco (Courmayeur): 3,466 m — rotating panoramic cabins
• Marmolada Cable Car (Rocca Pietore): 3,265 m — Dolomitic glacier
• Tofana Cable Car (Cortina): 3,244 m — Freccia nel Cielo
• Sass Pordoi Cable Car (Canazei): 3,152 m — 360° Dolomitic terrace
• Carosello 3000 Gondola (Livigno): 3,000 m — access to the Snowfield