The Gulmarg Gondola, a renowned cable car project in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gulmarg ski resort, is set to restart operations on Thursday. This popular tourist attraction had been closed for nearly a month due to a technical issue. The Gondola service was halted on May 25 after a malfunction left over 300 tourists stranded in the hanging cabins, leading to a large-scale rescue operation involving various authorities.
Trial runs conducted over the past two days have been successful, and the system has been deemed safe for passenger operations. The temporary closure of the Gondola had a significant impact on the local tourism-dependent economy in Gulmarg, affecting various stakeholders like guides, photographers, pony operators, tour operators, and hotel owners. The reopening of the service has been welcomed by tourism stakeholders who are hopeful that it will attract more visitors and help revive livelihoods, especially with the peak summer season approaching.
The Gulmarg Gondola is known as the world’s second-longest and second-highest cable car project. It operates in two stages, transporting around 600 people per hour to and from Kongdoori Mountain, located at an altitude of 4,260 meters near Afarwat Peak. This ropeway project is a collaboration between the Jammu and Kashmir government and the French company Pomagalski. The first stage connects Gulmarg resort to Kongdoori Station, while the second stage, completed in a record time of about two years for Rs 18 crore, takes passengers to a height of 3,980 meters near Afarwat Peak.
