Work on India's first urban ropeway project is picking up pace, with the section linking Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station to Rath Yatra anticipated to be completed by August 2024.
This segment is a crucial part of the 3.8-kilometre ropeway network in Varanasi, designed to connect the city's cantonment railway station to Godowlia Chowk.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for this transformative project on 24 March last year. The corridor will include five stations: Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station, Vidya Peeth (Bharatmata Mandir), Rath Yatra, Girja Ghar and Godowlia Chowk.
“Construction of this ropeway commenced in May 2023. The civil works of the first section are nearing completion,” a senior official told ET while adding that two towers have been installed at the proposed site at Varanasi.
Upon its completion, the ropeway will drastically reduce travel time between Banaras Cantonment Railway Station and the revered Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Dashashwamedh Ghat.
Currently, navigating through one of the city's most congested areas during peak hours requires approximately 60 minutes. With the ropeway operational, this travel time is expected to reduce to about 17 minutes, thus alleviating pressure on existing transport infrastructure.
The connectivity project is designed to accommodate a maximum capacity of 3,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), operating for 16 hours daily. It will be capable of transporting approximately 96,000 passengers per day in both directions.
The ropeway will feature a total of 153 gondolas or trolleys, each capable of carrying 10 passengers, shuttling back and forth.
A joint venture of Indian firm, Vishwa Samudra Engineering (VSE) and with Bartholet Maschinenbau AG, a Switzerland based ropeway equipment supplier is executing this project under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The contract order includes the operation and maintenance of the project for 15 years.
The Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency holds immense significance among the 543 parliamentary seats, especially as Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims for a third consecutive victory since using it as a launchpad in 2014 as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP.
PM Modi has described the forthcoming ropeway in Varanasi as “an amazing confluence of faith and technology.”
