Together with the Grindelwald-Männlichen Gondola Cableway (GGM), Jungfrau Railways is implementing the V-Cableway generation project for the long-term safeguarding of the future of tourism in the entire Jungfrau Region. After more than five years of planning, the realisation of the cableway with terminal and parking garage including public transport to the Bernese Oberland Railway has begun in the last few days.
The official ground-breaking ceremony for the 470 million Swiss franc project was held today, 3 July 2018, at Grindelwald Grund. The construction began symbolically with an oversized spade, the eight handles of which represent the individual elements of the V-Cableway. In the car park of the GGM, where the new terminal and the parking garage will one day stand, the managers of Jungfraubahn Holding AG, Berner Oberland-Bahnen AG and the Grindelwald-Männlichen Gondola Cableway thanked the community presidents from Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen for the trusting and constructive cooperation of the last few years. The president of the Bernese local government, Christoph Neuhaus, told the invited guests and the media: “Here will be created a greatly appealing project that can give important impetus to tourism, which is so important for the canton of Berne. The project will boost tourism in the Bernese Oberland and the entire canton.” Urs Kessler, CEO of Jungfrau Railways, showed obvious relief at the start of construction as he announced: “A historic moment for Grindelwald and the entire Jungfrau Region.”
First Männlichen Railway, then Eigerexpress
The start of construction of the V-Cableway has started in Grindelwald Grund as well as on the Eiger Glacier. The highest priority is the construction of the new Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola cableway. The lift will be in operation unchanged up to and including winter season 2018/2019. During the summer of 2019, it will be closed in order to start the winter season 2019/2020 on time in December 2019 with the new 10-passenger gondola cableway from the Grund terminus. Also in December 2019, the direct connection to the public transport system will take place with the opening of the new Rothenegg station at the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB).
The Wengernalp Railway from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg will operate throughout the construction period according to the timetable. The Eigerexpress will be opened in December 2020 together with all parts of the terminal (shops, restaurants and ski depots) and the car park. The construction work for the Eiger Express and the terminal will also start in the summer of 2018. The realisation of the parking garage starts in the summer of 2019.
Future and quality
The V-Cableway is a project for the entire Jungfrau Region. With the implementation of the eight integrated components, the main goals of future and quality are being pursued. The competitiveness of the Jungfraujoch and the winter sports destination in terms of international competition will be sustainably strengthened. Due to the direct public transport connection with the new BOB station at Rothenegg, travel times to the Jungfraujoch and the ski area have been significantly reduced by 47 minutes. Important traffic junctions have become untangled and the attractiveness of the railway has increased. Three project elements have already been realised since the end of 2015. The commissioning of the new rolling stock at the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB), the Wengernalp Railway and the Jungfrau Railway.
BKW rebuilds Grindelwald substation
The Grindelwald substation of BKW and Jungfrau Railways now stands on the grounds of the new parking garage, which is being built for the V-Cableway. To enable the construction of the parking garage, the companies are moving the facility to a new location in the new Grindelwald Grund valley station. In order to ensure the power supply for Grindelwald and the mountain railways over the long term and with increasing power consumption, BKW is working with Jungfrau Railways to build new, more modern and more powerful components.
The new substation should be ready for use after Easter 2019. The substation is a partner project of Jungfrau Railways and BKW. The total cost of the new substation is approximately 7 million Swiss francs.
