The 4.5-kilometre route links Creteil to Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, passing through Limeil-Brevannes and Valenton.
Historically employed to traverse rugged mountainous areas, these systems are becoming more popular as a means to connect isolated neighborhoods. “It’s like skiing!” joked Ibrahim Bamba, a 20-year-old student residing in Limeil-Brevannes, a locality not serviced by the Paris metro or any rail lines.
“It’s the Alps on the Marne!” exclaimed Pecresse, referencing Val-de-Marne, situated within the Grand Paris metropolis. The cable car is expected to transport approximately 11,000 passengers daily across its 105 gondolas, each capable of holding ten passengers.
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The entire journey will last 18 minutes, including stops, in contrast to about 40 minutes by bus or car, linking the secluded neighborhoods to the Paris metro’s line 8. A ride necessitates a bus ticket or travel pass for the Paris metro.
“This is a significant advancement in transportation. The roads tend to be congested in the morning,” noted Salimatou Bah, 52, a resident of Limeil-Brevannes for thirteen years.
“We were curious if people would be hesitant, but I think it just requires some time to adapt.”
Pecresse remarked that the project represented “a 10-year obstacle course.”
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“We had to secure funding and persuade local residents. For the people of Val-de-Marne, this is a sign of acknowledgment,” she added.
The 138-million-euro project turned out to be less expensive to build than a subway, according to officials.
“An underground metro would never have materialized because the budget exceeding a billion euros could never have been secured,” explained Gregoire de Lasteyrie, vice-president of the Ile-de-France regional council responsible for transport.
Each cabin accommodates ten seated passengers as well as wheelchairs, bicycles, and strollers. Inside, video surveillance and emergency call buttons have been incorporated to ensure passenger safety, along with staff present at each station.
The cable car addresses “urban divides” in areas that were “lacking public transport options,” remarked Metin Yavuz, mayor of Valenton, which has a population of 16,000.
This marks France’s seventh urban cable car, with aerial tramways already in operation in cities such as Brest, Saint-Denis de La Reunion, and Toulouse.
The first urban cable car in France was inaugurated in Grenoble, nestled at the base of the Alps, in 1934. The iconic “bubbles” have become a symbol of this southeastern city.
Cable cars are recognized as one of the safest modes of transport globally.
In France, the last fatal incident occurred in 1999 in the Hautes-Alpes, claiming the lives of 20 individuals.
