Leitner Building Gauxjoch & Trattenbach, The Most Sustainable Chairlifts For KitzSki

KitzSki replaces the outdated F6 Gauxjoch and F7 Trattenbach ski lifts with modern 6-seater chairlifts. Bergbahn Kitzbühel is spending around 23 million euros on this. This project comprehensively covers all main aspects (social, ecological and economic) of sustainability. The LEITNER company shares this approach and supports Bergbahn Kitzbühel in this regard with a great deal of know-how and the latest technology. Thanks to the early exchange with the authorities, the corresponding guidelines and recommendations could already be taken into account in the planning phase. The good cooperation with the affected property owners made the new building possible.

Kitzbuehel. With the new construction of the Gauxjoch and Trattenbach lifts, Bergbahn Kitzbühel is investing in order to be able to offer the usual high quality and to continue to be a pioneer in terms of modern lift systems and comfort, emphasizes Mayor Dr. Klaus Winkler, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bergbahn Kitzbühel. “For this reason, our guests and the locals will particularly appreciate this new offer. With this investment, Bergbahn Kitzbühel is also strengthening its role as a reliable employer and strong partner for the region," says Dr. Klaus Winkler.

Sustainability as a premise for the new building

Technology has advanced immensely over the past few decades. But the demands of guests in terms of comfort, quality and sustainability have also increased, as Mag. Anton Bodner, CEO of Bergbahn Kitzbühel, knows. The construction of the two plants is a replacement investment. The concession for the Trattenbach three-seater chairlift expires at the end of the 2024/25 winter season. “For cost reasons and in order to make optimal use of synergies during construction, the Gauxjoch drag lift was also included in the project. For Bergbahn Kitzbühel, it goes without saying that we make decisions that will also have an impact in the future and strengthen our position as one of the best ski areas. This is a good opportunity to jointly renew the Trattenbach and Gauxjoch lifts, which are getting on in years. I am particularly proud of the achievement of our technical department, which planned both systems. Bergbahn Kitzbühel is characterized by this high level of in-house know-how,” explains Mag. Anton Bodner.

Around 23 million euros will be invested in the construction of the two new 6-seater chairlifts. Commissioning is planned for December 2023. The total construction time will be around six months. The start of construction is scheduled for mid/end of May. “Right from the start, it was very important for us to build the most sustainable facilities currently available. This is another reason why we chose our long-term partner, the LEITNER company. They were able to convince us with the best concepts in this regard.”

KitzSki - sustainable skiing pleasure of the superlative

Mag. Christian Wörister, CEO of Bergbahn Kitzbühel, is looking forward to the next winter season with great anticipation. “KitzSki has always been a premium product and will remain so in the future. The Trattenbach and Gauxjoch lifts are essential for connecting the core ski areas of Kitzbühel, Kirchberg and Pengelstein with the Resterhöhe. KitzSki is also very popular with our guests because of this spaciousness,” says Mag. Christian Wörister. The equipment on both chairlifts promises the finest in ride comfort: premium individual seats with intelligent seat heating, a lightly tinted weather protection hood, powerful speeds of up to 6 m/s and a theoretical transport capacity of 2,400 people per hour per chairlift. The Mobile Flow reader gates at both facilities are also ideal for smartphone tickets. "The waiting times at peak times will be reduced due to the increased capacity of the new 6-seater chairlifts. They offer ideal conditions for promoting digitization as well. In cooperation with sitour, we will be able to provide valuable real-time information about our infotainment systems in the area of ​​the Trattenbach and Gauxjoch chairlifts. For our guests, this also means more safety in the ski area.”

The needs of different stakeholders are aligned

When realizing the Gauxjoch and Trattenbach project, KitzSki attaches great importance to good cooperation on an equal footing, emphasizes Florian Wörgetter, Technical Manager of the Kitzbühel cable car. "Thanks to the good and early cooperation with the property owners and the representatives of the responsible authorities right from the start, the realization of this project is on the right track," emphasizes Florian Wörgetter appreciatively.

In addition to the technical details of the two new chairlifts from LEITNER, the company buildings are also impressive - they were ergonomically planned on the inside and designed to be natural on the outside. The fully automatic loop station is fitted as discreetly as possible into the landscape and offers the employees sufficient space and the best conditions for carrying out inspection work. Thanks to the photovoltaic systems, part of the electricity will be produced sustainably in the future. The excavation work can be reduced to a minimum due to the planned aerial suspension cables on the Gauxjoch. Existing infrastructure can be used for the most part.

State-of-the-art technology and sustainability

The successful cooperation between KitzSki and LEITNER has existed for many years and is only possible because both partners meet at eye level. "Like KitzSki, LEITNER maintains very high quality standards, which is evident in every system it implements and in every product," says Martin Leitner, LEITNER CEO.

The LEITNER DirectDrive is the heart of both new systems. In addition to the high level of reliability, the energy savings of up to 12 percent compared to conventional drives, the complete elimination of lubricants and the simple maintenance option, it also impresses with the significantly lower noise level. The efficient drive system is supplemented by the LeitDrive frequency converter, the perfect coordination of which with the motor guarantees the high overall efficiency – 96 percent – ​​in all load ranges. The use of waste heat from liquid cooling for the heating system or hot water treatment ensures additional sustainable use.

Innovation meets the pioneering spirit of KitzSki

"KitzSki was always one of those partners with whom new ideas were developed and tested in order to improve comfort and the skiing experience for the end customer," says Martin Leitner happily. With the construction of the new chairlifts, the LEITNER EcoDrive, an automatically adaptive speed control for cable cars, will be implemented in the control of both systems for the first time in Austria. And this is how it works: The LEITNER EcoDrive regulates the speed of the system based on a camera system that records the number of guests waiting at the stations. This can save up to 20 percent energy.

Another novelty will be the equipment of the station canopy with a photovoltaic system (PV). The polycarbonate panes of the LEITNER Premium Station are replaced by curved panels with PV elements. The station designed by Pininfarina is best suited to achieve optimal energy production.

The Intelligent Heat Detector (IHD) system is also used. It was developed by the employees of the Bergbahn Kitzbühel and implemented together with the LEITNER company. This happens in the background: Using a heat sensor on a reference vehicle in the system and via the access barriers, the IHD system can automatically regulate the seat heating and thus contributes to saving energy and the sustainable use of the seat heating.