Futuristic Technologies for Energy-Efficient, Safe, and Smart Ropeway Systems 

Himachal and other mountainous states of India possess extreme geographical conditions ranging from high hills and mountains to areas of little flat land. Rugged terrains, unfavorable weather conditions and scattered settlements in the hilly and mountainous regions obstruct the mobility of people. In such a harsh mountainous region, the construction of roads, rails and airports is expensive and time-consuming.

Increased urban density with space being continually appropriated for buildings leads to the problem that public transport (PT) networks in many historic cities have reached their capacity limit. Conventional PT infrastructure (tram lines, bus lines) cannot be extended in high density cities with narrow streets and limited space for additional transportation infrastructure. As a consequence, capacity extensions of mass transit in cities must be built either below or above ground level. Cities of moderate size are too small for an underground railway system to be economically viable. A ropeway system/cable car, however, could be a cost-effective and efficient alternative.

The Parvatmala Pariyojana, or the National Ropeways Development Programme, was announced in Budget 2022-23 and aims to improve connectivity for commuters in hilly areas and decongest urban areas where conventional modes of transport are saturated.

In this workshop, futuristic technologies related to Ropeway System will be discussed.