Santis Schwebebahn Submits A New Application To Replace Cable Car.
At the end of May 2023, Säntis Schwebebahn AG submitted a new planning approval application to the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) for the replacement of the cable car to the Säntis. After the first application was withdrawn due to an objection, the planning team revised the project and developed a new variant on the existing cable line and using the existing station buildings.
In January 2019, the Schwägalp was hit by an extraordinary avalanche event, which also damaged the first of the two cable car supports. As a result, this was reinforced by an additional supporting structure so that safety can again be guaranteed and also verified.
Current wind load and avalanche reports call for higher strength and massive avalanche protection for a support. For this reason, the BAV has limited the operating license for the Schwägalp-Säntis cable car with the existing support until 2025.
Säntis-Schwebebahn AG is now planning to completely replace the existing cable car so that the first cable car support and massive avalanche protection on the Säntis north face can be dispensed with.
The planning approval procedure (PGV) for a first cable car replacement project, in which the new mountain station would have been installed in Swisscom's existing northern cavern, was opened at the end of 2021. The objection received at the time, which called for the protection of the entire summit building to be examined, was supported by the Federal Office of Culture. Due to the inevitable examination of the worthiness of protection, the project would have been difficult to plan in terms of time and could not be implemented in the necessary period.
For these reasons, Säntis Schwebebahn AG has adapted the project so that the new cable car will be implemented on the existing axis. As a result, both the valley and mountain stations remain practically unchanged from the outside. The first cable car support and thus avalanche protection is also dispensed with in the new project. For the replacement system, only a slightly higher mast has to be erected in the area of today's "Stake 2". The possibility for mountaineers and skiers to get on and off is still given by the intermediate exit.
In terms of safety, availability, comfort, maintenance, operating costs, etc., this replacement system can create optimal and future-proof conditions for the Säntis-Schwebebahn AG. In addition, the landscape on the Säntis can be upgraded with the planned project and concerns of nature, landscape and environmental protection can be taken into account.
The renewal of the cable car on the existing axis means that the construction costs will be lower, but the interruption to operations will last longer.
According to the current schedule, approval for the project is expected in 2023. If there are no objections or other delays, the next year should be used for detailed planning and the first orders should be placed. The first construction work, in particular the support foundations and the new anchorages for the suspension cables in the mountain station, are to be carried out in 2025. The actual conversion with the mentioned interruption of operations and the reopening should take place in 2026. After that, all the old support foundations have to be removed. If this schedule can be met, the operating license only needs to be extended slightly.
Broad information
It is important to Säntis Schwebebahn AG to provide open information about the project. All offices, authorities, associations, shareholders and neighbors were informed in advance. The Säntis is one of the most popular excursion destinations in the Lake Constance tourist region. Known for the suspension railway, the restaurants on the mountain and on the Schwägalp, the hotel and the nature adventure park, it offers all guests a wide range of opportunities in a unique mountain landscape.
Innovation is reflected in the three-star superior hotel and the generous gastronomy on the Schwägalp as well as the adventure world on the Säntis
