Smartphones drives Swiss cable car revival: innovative self-service solution

A after purchasing a ticket, a warning signal sounds and the cable car starts moving. SRF/Primus Ettlin

In canton Nidwalden, guests can now operate a cable car themselves using their smartphones. This pilot project could be the future for small cable cars around Switzerland.

A wooden box on a steel cable: this is how the “Nidwaldner Waldibahn” cable car began operating one hundred years ago. Then, the small cable car was used to transport milk from the Emmetter Alp down to the valley. Today, the six-minute route is mainly used by holidaymakers and day visitors. Until now, they had to buy tokens or a rechargeable card.

Cable car use via smartphone – how it works

Today, visitors can operate the cable car completely independently via smartphone – around the clock and seven days a week. To do this, visitors scan the QR code at the station and buy a ticket with your credit card or an online payment system like TWINT. Within two minutes the cable car beeps and begins its journey.

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Once the code has been scanned, a ticket can be purchased. Those who travel regularly receive a discount. SRF/Primus Ettlin

On the left: payment option with token. On the right: a new payment option via QR code. SRF/Primus Ettlin

The Waldibahn in canton Nidwalden runs from Emmetten via Rotiflue to Rinderbühl. SRF/Primus Ettlin

The views over lake Lucerne during the six-minute ride on the Waldibahn. Waldibahn

Ueli Schmitter knows the concerns of the cable car operators as he also operates a small cable car in Wolfenschiessen in canton Nidwalden. SRF/Primus Ettlin

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Practical for guests and inexpensive to operate

This system is unique in the world. Users appreciate the cashless operation, and this autonomous operation saves costs, says Thomas Tschümperlin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Waldibahn.

“No one is needed to operate the cable car and there is no need to maintain a ticket machines,” says Tschümperlin. This is a huge financial relief for the small cable car in Emmetten, with which visitors make around 6,000 trips a year.

Sensors stop operations in a storm

Safety is not neglected, emphasises Tschümperlin. There are measuring systems that automatically switch off the cable car during strong winds. A technician is staffed to operate the Waldibahn cable car, who would stop its operation in the case of approaching thunderstorms. This is also done conveniently via smartphone.

The Waldibahn is one of around 200 small cable cars in Switzerland and 85 in central Switzerland. The particularly dense network in central Switzerland was included in the UNESCO catalogue of living traditions in 2023. Despite this recognition, the number of small cable cars is dwindling.

Project could set a precedent

The costs of maintenance are often too high. The new operating system could relieve the burden on cable cars across the country, says Ueli Schmitter from the Nidwalden Cable Car Association. It is for this reason that the association has financially supported the pilot project in Emmetten.

Farming families who also operate small cable cars could benefit: “The farmer can tend to the farm or take care of daily tasks and the visitor can operate the cable car themselves.”

Currently, the Waldibahn still runs with tokens. However, in the future, smartphone and online payments will likely be the method for transactions. “That’s the spirit of the times,” says Schmitter.

Adapted from German using DeepL/amva