Digitalisation & Innovation
The cable car on water
Clogged roads – is the solution on water
In many tourist-oriented countries, there is a problem where water-adjacent towns become overcrowded with tourists, causing locals to push back.
A negative example is Hallstatt in Upper Austria, where the mobility infrastructure is particularly overloaded. This is why austrian transport planner Joachim Kleiner invented the Hydro-Cable Car.
According to him, the floating or water cable car uses the surface of rivers and lakes as a traffic area, solving traffic problems in a way that even benefits the relieved areas.
Negative example Hallstadt (AT):
Overload of the mobility infrastructure.
The idea
“An electrically driven underwater cable transports detachable boats from the train station to the destination and back. When not in use, the boats are stored in the boat depot, leaving the water surface clear,” explains Kleiner.
The underwater tow cable is guided over rollers fixed on the shore and on buoyant structures. These rollers can be electrically powered. The water cable car thus follows the principle of a classic monocable gondola.
The system
“The Hydro-Cable Car, if properly developed, can transport up to 7,500 people per hour,“ Kleiner is convinced. The technology is also environmentally friendly, as the traffic area is completely empty outside of operating hours—without boats, supports, or passengers.
Additionally, it solves the problem of the “last mile” as part of the public transport network and avoids individual car traffic. “Moreover, the Hydro-Cable Car is an attraction in itself. It allows people to experience the landscape panorama from the water!“ says Kleiner.
Last but not least, the innovation can also be used outside of tourist hotspots, for example, as a replacement for many staff-intensive, small individual boats.
Hydro-Cable Car already patented
Joachim Kleiner has developed his idea to patent maturity with the help of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and has patented it through a lawyer in Austria. The application for the EU patent was also successful, with the European Patent Office announcing its intention to grant it in the spring of 2024.
The transport planner sees enough expertise among cable car manufacturers, cable producers, and boat builders to make the Hydro-Cable Car a reality:
“My hope is that the patent stays in the country and is commercially utilized here. It is definitely up for sale!”
Learn more: verkehrsplaner.at
