The San Genesio/Jenesien cable car is about to close a key chapter of its history – and start writing a new one. On 22 November 2020, the historic aerial tramway will cease operating. Meanwhile, plans for its reconstruction are taking shape. The ropeway is part of the südtirolmobil public transport network and connects the South Tyrolean capital with the Monzoccolo/Tschögglberg plateau.
The cable car linking Bolzano/Bozen and San Genesio/Jenesien was first inaugurated in May 1937. Now, almost 80 years later, extensive inspection and maintenance work would have been required to keep it running. To ensure that the service meets all the requirements of modern mobility and – much like the Renon/Ritten cable car – becomes a success with both commuters and tourists, the mobility department of the South Tyrolean government has put the STA (Strutture Trasporto Alto Adige SpA/Südtiroler Transportstrukturen AG) in charge of planning an entirely new ropeway system. A top priority of the new design: the development of a tailor-made mobility concept that seamlessly links the new cable-car stations with other public transport services and the extensive network of cycle paths.
In July 2017, the first draft of an in-depth project for the new cable car was presented at a press conference, and as little as one year later, the STA successfully concluded the architecture competition for a total of three new ropeway stations: the peak and valley stations plus a novel addition – a new mid-way stop. This latest design is the basis for all further planning work. The date on which construction works are scheduled to begin depends on the available financing and has not yet been determined. But in the meantime, public transport services remain guaranteed: San Genesio/Jenesien and the quaint Monzoccolo/Tschögglberg hilltop plateau can still easily and conveniently be reached by taking bus no. 156 from Bolzano/Bozen.