Cable car failures an “unfortunate coincidence”
The recent spate of cable car breakdowns is nothing more than an "unfortunate row of coincidences", according to the director of the Federal Transport Office.
Max Friedli said the fact that since 2007 cable car railways have themselves been responsible for safety wasn’t a factor.
“We investigate every incident in detail,” he told the Sonntagszeitung newspaper. “When all the information is on the table, we then look into what measures are necessary and inform the railways.”
Friedli said he was “deeply affected” by a chairlift accident in the Bernese Oberland in January which killed one person and seriously injured three.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the accident on the Fallboden lift in the Jungfrau area earlier was triggered by strong winds. A cable seems to have jumped off a guidewheel on one of the support towers, but the results of an investigation are not expected for several months.
Stringent regulations are in force to ensure the safety of all means of transport in Switzerland. It is the responsibility of each operating company to ensure that its equipment complies with regulations and is adequately maintained, while the Transport Office bears overall responsibility for safety.
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