Salzmann Ingenieure And Bernard Gruppe Planning Eleven Ropeways In India

The joint venture between Salzmann Ingenieure from Bregenz and the Bernard Group from Hall in Tirol was commissioned to plan eleven cable car projects in India. The two companies are designing systems across the country with a total length of around 50 kilometers and an investment volume of around 300 million euros for the state-owned National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML). The first flagship project is being built in Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh: from 2025, the state-of-the-art city cable car will bring up to 3,000 pilgrims per hour safely to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

“We examine potential locations, calculate their profitability and develop optimal concepts for ropeways throughout India. We contribute our know-how from alpine projects and rely on the latest technology," explains Stephan Salzmann, Managing Director of Salzmann Ingenieure. Together with the Bernard Group based in Hall in Tirol, the Bregenz office is planning eleven projects across India on behalf of National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML). In addition to feasibility studies for 15 locations, the joint venture is responsible for the complete planning of eleven cable car projects including statics and buildings as the basis for a general contractor tender. 

The applications range from traffic relief in urban areas to the regulation of pilgrim flows to tourist offers. There are more than 3,500 kilometers between the individual projects. They range from Leh in the northernmost union territory of Ladakh to Palani in the southernmost state of Tamil Nadu. The total length of the systems is around 50 kilometers, the total investment volume is around 300 million euros. “The climate, culture, location, topography and type of use vary greatly. Every project is a new world, calls for new perspectives and enriches our expertise,” says Salzmann.

Flagship project Varanasi City Cableway

The first project is being built in the city of Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh. There, Salzmann Ingenieure and the Bernard Group are planning a modern city cable car from Varanasi Cantt station to the Kashi Vishwanath temple district with the Ghats on the Ganges. With more than 90,000 visitors every day, the temple in the millennia-old place of pilgrimage is one of the most important in India. The way to the holy places is still on foot through crowded streets.

From 2025, streams of pilgrims will be transported back and forth in 10-seater gondolas over two sections – 3,000 people per hour. The route, which is 3.6 kilometers long in total, runs parallel to the main traffic arteries and thus blends harmoniously into the existing structure. “City ropeways create direct connections as safe and comfortable transport solutions. They reduce the volume of traffic at critical points, bridge historically grown structures without major interventions and are therefore perfect for heavily frequented routes," explains Stephan Salzmann. The planning has been completed and the tender for construction and operation is currently in progress. 

50 years of Salzmann engineers

The next projects are in Kullu in the state of Himachal Pradesh and in Shivkhori in the state of Jammu Kashmir. There are two gondolas with a capacity of 1,500 and 1,800 people per hour. "Exciting tasks with great potential for innovative solutions with exemplary character," says Stephan Salzmann happily. The major order in India coincides with Salzmann Ingenieure's anniversary year. The company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. 

Info: www.salzmann-ing.at

Fact box: Varanasi City Cable Car

• 10-seater gondola gondola
• Capacity: 3,000 people per hour
• Total route length: 3.6 kilometers
• Two sections, six stations
• Start: Varanasi Cantt Railway Station, End: Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Godowlia)
• Planning: Salzmann engineers and Bernard Group

About Salzmann engineers

Salzmann Ingenieure ZT GmbH was founded in 1972 by Anton Salzmann and has been managed by Stephan and Judith Salzmann in the second generation since 1992. The Bregenz planning and engineering office specializes in manufacturer-independent advice and planning of cable cars. In 50 years of company history, the company has implemented more than 400 projects in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Since 2021, Salzmann Ingenieure has also been planning ropeways for urban and tourist purposes in India.