At Pustevny, a new cable car station is being built, which will be finished in May

photo: www.pustevny.cz

Prostřední Bečva (Vsetínsko) - Work is underway on the construction of a new upper station for the cable car at Pustevny in the Beskids. Approximately 15 million crowns will be spent on a modern facility made of wood, stone, and glass. In addition to facilities for cable car staff, there will be ticket offices and restaurants, shops, sanitary facilities, and rental services for ski equipment and scooters. "We would like to open in May," said Petr Chrostek, the head of the cable car and ski resort at Pustevny, to ČTK.

According to him, the old building was on the verge of collapse. Last year, construction began on a brand new structure, which is already standing, and work is now taking place inside. According to Chrostek, the owners modernized the lower station of the cable car to Pustevny in Trojanovice in the Novojičín area two years ago for about two million crowns. The cable car transports around 200,000 people each year, including skiers and hikers.

The cable car is the oldest chairlift in the Czech Republic and Europe, having started operations on March 4, 1940. Before it ascends to Pustevny at an altitude of 1,018 meters above sea level, it overcomes an elevation of 400 meters. The cable car is 1,637 meters long, has 162 seats, and the ride takes approximately 20 minutes. The current cable car has been in service since 1987. "Among larger chairlifts, it is certainly the oldest in the Czech Republic," Chrostek stated. Plans are in place for its replacement.

According to Chrostek, the project will cost about 150 million crowns. "It is prepared for land use approval. Its realization depends on whether we manage to obtain European subsidies. We wouldn't be able to handle it on our own," Chrostek added. He mentioned that the new cable car will follow the same route. "Instead of 18 poles, there will only be six. Seats will be replaced with ten-person cabins, and travel time will be reduced from 20 minutes to five. This will triple the capacity of the cable car," Chrostek elaborated.

Travel will also be more comfortable for seniors and small children. Currently, when they board, it is sometimes necessary to stop the entire cable car since older people and children cannot safely jump off the seat while it is moving. The new cabins will be detachable, so the cable car will not have to stop. The cabin will ascend at the station on a special loop and, after passengers exit or board, it will return to the main route, according to Chrostek. Passengers will also appreciate that they will not be exposed to wind and cold in the cabins.

If the subsidy is obtained, the first passengers may ride the new cable car in a few years. "We hope it will be completed in 2019," Chrostek concluded.