The Vanoise Express is a French double-decker cable car that links La Plagne with Les Arcs ski resorts in the Alps, acting as a vital link in the Paradiski area.
Ordered by Compagnie des Alpes and built by Poma in time for the '03-'04 season, the lift stretches 1,800 m (5,900 ft), 380 m (1,250 ft) over the valley, takes 4 minutes to cross, and cost over 15 million Euro to complete. It was officially opened in December 2003. It has a capacity of over 200 people. It is not a conventional cable car. The two units can operate separately and have individual spare engines. The lift operates without any supporting pylons.
As a result of safety inspections in December 2007, the operators announced that this lift would remain shut for the entire 2007/2008 season as repairs could not be undertaken until the spring.[1] This closure effectively shut down Paradiski for that season. It opened up again for 2008–09. It takes about 7–10 minutes to get from one ski area to another.
- ^ "New ski lifts for this winter". pisthors.com. 2003-11-18. Retrieved 2006-12-09.