Milestone Reached on Gerlitzen Mountain: First Gondola Installed on New €22M Kanzelbahn II

Construction of the new Kanzelbahn II gondola on Carinthia’s Gerlitzen mountain has achieved a major technical milestone. Technicians from specialist ropeway construction firms successfully mounted the first 10-person cabin onto the newly installed steel haul cable, paving the way for station calibration work.

Replacing the outdated 4-person "Gipfelbahn" chairlift, the new monocable circulating gondola system represents a €22 million flagship investment by the Gerlitzen-Kanzelbahn cable car company. With two-thirds of the project now complete, the line is on track to open to the public on October 22, 2026.

Technical Highlights and Passenger Experience Upgrades

The second section of the Kanzelbahn links the Kanzelhöhe mid-station (1,440 m) to the summit plateau at 1,911 meters above sea level in under six minutes. The new closed-cabin system completely eliminates long queues during peak winter and summer seasons while providing year-round, barrier-free access.

• Capacity Expansion: Passenger transport capacity will double, moving up to 4,000 people per hour to the summit.

• Enhanced Safety: Enclosed cabins ensure safe transit for young children, strollers, and mountain bikes in all weather conditions.

• Modern Fleet: A total of 82 ten-person cabins will run on the 3.8-kilometer-long, 38-tonne steel haul cable.

High-Tech Safety & Precision Engineering

Operating at high alpine elevations requires rigorous monitoring systems. The new Kanzelbahn II features extensive safety infrastructure throughout the line and stations.

"We have about 60 to 70 sensors in the mountain and valley stations so that the system knows exactly where the gondola is at all times. We also utilize monitoring systems at the exit to verify that every grip clamp is correctly attached and fully locked onto the cable before departure." said  Thomas Rupitsch, Operations Manager at Gerlitzen-Kanzelbahn

The system is engineered with extreme load tolerances: while a fully loaded 10-person cabin weighs approximately 1.5 tonnes, the support infrastructure—including 14 rebuilt concrete tower foundations—is built to withstand five to six times the standard operational load.

A Major Alpine Construction Effort

Construction began in early April 2026 immediately following the winter season close. The ambitious overhaul involved 19 specialized construction and engineering firms, with over 70 workers on site managing everything from earthworks to electrical transformer connections.

Full station adjustment works, system testing, and trial runs will take place through early October, leading up to official safety certification and the scheduled maiden voyage.