State Of The Art Lift Dramatically Improves Access To The Jungfrau Region’s Slopes

The final stage of a 470m CHF V-Cableway project in the region was completed last season and is a game changer for the resort of Grindelwald.

• New V-Cableway (fully opened winter 2020) is the world’s largest lift of its type and whisks skiers and snowboarders to two main starting points, Männlichen and Eigergletscher
• Replaces both aging gondola and need to take slow cog railway system from Grindelwald
• Huge new lift terminal includes shopping, ski storage facilities, VIP area and large car parking space – connects directly with railway network via Interlaken

The Eiger Express transports skiers and snowboarders directly from Grindelwald at 1035m to two separate areas - the Eiger Glacier at 2320m in 15 minutes, 47 minutes faster than previously possible and Männlichen, where it replaces an aging gondola (first stage, opened 2019) and reduces the journey time from 30 to 19 minutes. On route to the Eigergletscher station, users get close up views of the spectacular north face of the Eiger, an 1800m high wall of rock.

The new lift has 44 cabins, each comfortably holding 26 persons. It has enough capacity to transport 1800 people per hour up the mountain and help reduce what has traditionally been a bottleneck for skiers and snowboarders waiting for the cog railway at Grindelwald’s railway station or at the gondola, where the new Grindelwald terminal building has been constructed.

Non-skiers can also change at a new Eigergletscher station (2320m) to catch the cog railway to Europe’s highest railway station, the Jungfraujoch at 3,454m.  

The Eiger Express departs from the new terminal in Grindelwald, completed last season, and a central part of the development with retail outlets, a sports shop, ski storage facilities and a car park. At the same time the Grindelwald terminal public service stop of the Bernese Oberland Railway was opened, linking up with trains from Interlaken (29 minutes). With a completely covered platform and a moving walkway, it provides convenient access to the terminal.

Brits love the Swiss resorts of Wengen and Grindelwald in the Jungfrau region, also home to Interlaken. They are attracted by the chocolate box charm of the resorts and the stunning views of the ever present Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks.

Where they’ve felt there is room for improvement is the traditional way to access the resort’s shared Grindelwald-Wengen ski area. Previously the only way up the mountain was via a combination of a slow cog railway and chair and gondola lifts.