Urban cable car for Fulda: Fast connection for 15.7 million euros!

Urban cable car for Fulda: Fast connection for 15.7 million euros!

Something is happening in Fulda! A group of students from Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences has developed an exciting concept for an urban cable car. The proposal, which was initiated by Mario Klotzsche, the district chairman of the FDP, could revolutionize mobility in the city. This cable car would provide a connection from the main train station to the university in just four minutes and could transport up to 1,800 people per hour. This emerges from the plans presented by Fuldaer Zeitung.

35 ten-person cabins are planned, which will depart every 20 seconds. This connection could reach important destinations such as the clinic, the university and the intermunicipal industrial area of ​​Petersberg, Künzell and Fulda. However, the planning faces challenges: the route must take obstacles such as high-voltage lines and residential areas into account. To implement the project, investments of around 15.7 million euros are required, while daily operating costs would amount to almost 18,000 euros.

Financial and social challenges

An interesting challenge awaits: the income from regular driving is not enough to cover the running costs. However, to improve the payback period, “soft factors” such as time savings and environmental benefits could be taken into account, which could reduce the time to around 3.4 years. Klotzsche sees “many exciting starting points” in the results of the studies and suggests presenting the results publicly in order to involve citizens.

The federal government could support up to 75% of the costs. Given these high amounts eligible for funding, the question arises as to whether the population is prepared to accept this innovative mobility project. In order to create trust, the students are suggesting citizen dialogues and social media campaigns that are intended to convince the population of the advantages of this cable car. If you compare Fulda with other cities, Heilbronn, for example, is currently examining a cable car connection to an innovation park, which shows how popular such projects are at the moment.

The background and the political framework conditions

The Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMV) has already taken an important step in this direction. On November 30, 2022, it published the guide “Urban cable cars in local public transport”, which is intended to help municipalities and transport companies implement such projects. There is currently little experience with urban cable car systems in Germany, but Sebastian Beck from Drees & Sommer SE emphasizes that there is an urgent need for innovative solutions in view of congested roads and public transport. The guide not only offers technical orientation, but also highlights social and political aspects, cost-benefit comparisons and funding options.

In addition, cable cars have recently become eligible projects under the Municipal Transport Financing Act (GVFG). In order to receive funding, the minimum project size must be 30 million euros, and the costs can be funded up to 75%, provided they are in line with EU state aid law and undergo an individual case assessment.

These developments and the entire discourse surrounding urban cable cars show that innovative solutions are being sought in Fulda and beyond to improve mobility in the cities of the future. It remains exciting to see how citizens will decide on the next steps in this matter. If you would like to find out more about the opportunities offered by urban cable cars, you can find further information on the pages BMV and Seilbahnen.de.