QTS-256 · Feasibility or modelling study · 2023
Introduction to Cable Cars: Urban Cable Car Opportunities in New Zealand (Parts A–C)
Page numbers in this entry are printed page numbers. In Part C the printed page is 7 lower than the PDF page number. On the Part B page cited here, the printed page number is the same as the PDF page number.
Part of: Rapid transit evidence →
Abley Limited's three-part Introduction to Cable Cars (2023). Commissioned by Doppelmayr New Zealand, a cable car manufacturer. Abley identified a long list of 23 possible cable car routes in six New Zealand cities: Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. For Queenstown it modelled an airport–Frankton–town centre route, estimating capital cost, benefits, travel time and a benefit-cost ratio. Queenstown was not on Abley's shortlist of routes for short-term further analysis.
What the document says
Abley Limited prepared this three-part series for Doppelmayr New Zealand, a cable car manufacturer. The introduction to Part C states that Doppelmayr New Zealand commissioned Abley to identify possible locations in New Zealand where an urban cable car operation may support regional or local transport outcomes. Olivia Heer and Elena Pihera prepared the series and Andrew Couch reviewed it. The job number is DLNZL-J002.
Part C identifies a long list of 23 cable car routes. The city chapters are Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. For Queenstown, the text says the route modelled is 7.6 km, from the airport to Frankton and then along the Lake Wakatipu front, allowing for local commuting and a mode share of 20% of arrivals transferring into the town centre (printed p.36). Table 8.2 states the length as 7.8 km, benefits of $316 million, construction cost of $40 million per kilometre, capital cost of $312 million and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.1 (printed p.35). Table 8.1 estimates 9,108 return trips, with travel times of 23 minutes by car, 24 minutes by bus and 20 minutes by cable car (printed p.35).
Table 9.2, headed as a first-cut economic assessment, states Queenstown benefits of $320 million, a notional cable car length of 7.8 km, capital cost of $312 million and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.1 (printed p.40).
The routes named as most favourable for further analysis in the short term do not include Queenstown (printed p.43). They are Auckland Airport to Onehunga and Onehunga to CBD, Airport to Botany, Wellington Airport to CBD, Karori to CBD, Wainuiomata to Lower Hutt/ Melling, and Island Bay to Wellington railway station. The executive summary separately describes an EAST short list of 10 options that included Queenstown among the cities represented.
Part A is A Case for Urban Cable Cars in New Zealand, issued final on 13 September 2023 and amended on 25 October 2023. Part B is Policy, Consenting & Installation Considerations, with the same dates. Part C is Urban Cable Car Opportunities in New Zealand. Its quality-assurance table records a final issue on 15 September 2023, amendments on 25 October 2023, an Island Bay route on 3 November 2023, and a final issue with the Island Bay route on 21 November 2023.
Key figures
- Long list of 23 cable car routes; city chapters cover Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown
- Part C, printed p.36: route described as 7.6 km from the airport to Frankton and along the Lake Wakatipu front; 20% mode share of arrivals
- Part C, Table 8.1, printed p.35: 9,108 estimated return trips; 23 minutes by car, 24 minutes by bus, 20 minutes by cable car
- Part C, Table 8.2, printed p.35: 7.8 km; benefits $316 million; construction $40 million per km; capital cost $312 million; benefit-cost ratio 1.1
- Part C, Table 9.2, printed p.40: benefits $320 million; length 7.8 km; capital cost $312 million; benefit-cost ratio 1.1
- Part C, printed p.43: Queenstown is not on the shortlist of routes for short-term further analysis
Rapid transit
Mass rapid transit means light rail, gondola/cable car, bus rapid transit and similar dedicated rapid-transit technologies. It does not include ordinary bus services or ferries.
Substantive. Discusses, assesses, recommends or programmes mass rapid transit.
Models a Queenstown airport–Frankton–town centre cable car and estimates capital cost, benefits, travel time and a benefit-cost ratio. Queenstown is not on the shortlist of routes for short-term further analysis.
The Queenstown text describes a 7.6 km route from the airport to Frankton and then along the Lake Wakatipu front, with a 20% mode share of arrivals (Part C, printed p.36). Table 8.2 states 7.8 km, benefits of $316 million, construction of $40 million per kilometre, capital cost of $312 million and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.1, and Table 8.1 estimates 9,108 return trips with travel times of 23 minutes by car, 24 minutes by bus and 20 minutes by cable car (Part C, printed p.35). Table 9.2 states benefits of $320 million for the same 7.8 km, $312 million capital cost and benefit-cost ratio of 1.1 (Part C, printed p.40). The shortlist for short-term further analysis does not include Queenstown (Part C, printed p.43).
"Due to network capacity issues, an off-road option, most likely to be a Cable car, was identified in the longer-term programme, but was not taken forward to the preferred programme as it was outside the next funding National Land Transport Programme period." (Part C, printed p.35) | "We have modelled Queenstown based upon a 7.6km cable car route from airport to Frankton and then along the Lake Wakatipu front – allowing local resident commuting and also accounting for a mode share of 20% of arrivals transferring into Queenstown centre." (Part C, printed p.36) | "One notable exception is the Queenstown Lakes area which has investigated a cable car system between Queenstown Airport and Queenstown Town Centre. While this is not currently being investigated further, it is a longer-term consideration and reflects the high tourist movement demand which warrant a high-capacity mass transport solution." (Part B, printed p.11)
Files
| Date | Document | Author | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part C: Urban Cable Car Opportunities in New Zealand (opens in new tab) | Abley Limited (prepared by Olivia Heer and Elena Pihera; reviewed by Andrew Couch) | www.doppelmayr.com (leaves this site) (opens in new tab) | |
| Part A: A Case for Urban Cable Cars in New Zealand (opens in new tab) | Abley Limited (prepared by Olivia Heer and Elena Pihera; reviewed by Andrew Couch) | www.doppelmayr.com (leaves this site) (opens in new tab) | |
| Part B: Policy, Consenting & Installation Considerations (opens in new tab) | Abley Limited (prepared by Olivia Heer and Elena Pihera; reviewed by Andrew Couch) | www.doppelmayr.com (leaves this site) (opens in new tab) |
Public copies
The publisher’s page for this document.
- publisher's page, Doppelmayrwww.doppelmayr.com (leaves this site) (opens in new tab)
- IntroductiontoCableCars-PartCFinalID30000.pdfwww.doppelmayr.com (leaves this site) (opens in new tab)
- IntroductiontoCableCars-PartAFinalID29777.pdfwww.doppelmayr.com (leaves this site) (opens in new tab)
- IntroductiontoCableCars-PartBFinalID29778.pdfwww.doppelmayr.com (leaves this site) (opens in new tab)
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Study cost
A separate study cost was not requested.
Citation
Abley Limited. Introduction to Cable Cars: Urban Cable Car Opportunities in New Zealand (Parts A–C) (2023). Prepared for Doppelmayr New Zealand. Job DLNZL-J002.