Restoration Underway: Macugnaga Aims for Late Summer Return of Moro Cable Car

Work crews have moved onto the Monte Moro cable‑car installation above Macugnaga this week to begin repairs and safety checks following the December incident in which a cabin entered the mountain station at excessive speed and struck a barrier, leaving dozens stranded and several people treated for minor injuries.

According to the company that manages the lift, the mechanical portion of the system has been released for maintenance, allowing technicians to inspect and replace worn parts, test brakes and carry out structural checks on towers, sheaves and cabins. Electronic control systems, however, remain “prohibited” from operation pending deeper diagnostics and regulatory clearance, meaning software, safety interlocks and station automation cannot yet be powered for live testing. This staged approach is intended to let teams work safely on hardware while specialists isolate and verify the control‑room logic.

Engineers will run a full programme of static and dynamic tests once the electronic systems are re‑enabled, including simulated entries, emergency‑brake trials and redundancy checks on sensors and speed governors. Regulators must sign off on both mechanical and electronic systems before any passenger service resumes, and the operator has said it will not reopen until certification is complete

The recovery process remains complex due to the bifurcated status of the facility under the law. According to local reports, the Verbania Prosecutor's Office has partially lifted the judicial seizure:

• Mechanical Components: The mechanical parts of the system—including the cables, pulleys, and structural elements—have been released, allowing maintenance teams to begin the necessary overhauls and safety checks required for eventual recertification.

• Electronic Components: The electronic control system, often described as the "brain" or "black box" of the cable car, remains under judicial prohibition. Investigators are still analyzing these components to pinpoint the exact failure in the automated braking system that led to the winter accident.

Macugnaga’s Funivia del Monte Moro — the historic lift connecting the village to the 2,800‑metre pass on the Swiss border — has remained closed since a cabin arrived at the mountain station at excessive speed and struck the barrier, injuring several passengers and leaving around 100 people stranded at altitude.

Investigators confirmed that the cabin failed to brake correctly as it entered the upper station, triggering emergency systems but not preventing the collision. Three passengers and a lift operator were injured, though none seriously.

While officials have not announced a fixed reopening date, the target is late summer 2026, allowing time for testing, certification, and phased load trials.

Lift operator representatives have emphasized that the system will only reopen once all safety checks are complete and regulators give full approval.

The return of the Moro cable car is crucial for Macugnaga’s tourism economy: the lift provides access to high‑mountain hiking routes, glacier viewpoints, and the Monte Rosa massif — a major draw for summer visitors.

The accident forced the closure of ski slopes during the peak holiday period, but the community is now looking ahead. Hoteliers, guides, and local businesses hope that a late‑summer relaunch will help salvage part of the warm‑season tourism flow.

As restoration progresses, Macugnaga’s iconic lift — first built in 1962 — is poised to begin a new chapter, strengthened by modernized systems and renewed public confidence.