A new urban cable car system has been launched in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, marking the first of its kind in the French capital’s region. The C1 line, which connects Creteil to Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, was inaugurated in the presence of Valerie Pecresse, the head of the Ile-de-France region, and local mayors. The 4.5-kilometer route passes through Limeil-Brevannes and Valenton, aiming to improve transportation links between isolated neighborhoods and the Paris metro’s line 8.

The cable car system, which features 105 gondolas, each accommodating ten seated passengers, is expected to carry around 11,000 passengers daily. The total journey time is approximately 18 minutes, significantly reducing travel time compared to buses or cars, which take around 40 minutes. This project is seen as a more cost-effective alternative to building a subway, with a construction cost of 138 million euros.

According to Gregoire de Lasteyrie, vice-president of the Ile-de-France regional council in charge of transport, an underground metro would have been too expensive, with a budget of over a billion euros. The cable car system is France’s seventh urban cable car, with similar systems already operating in cities like Brest, Saint-Denis de La Reunion, and Toulouse. Historically used to cross rugged terrain, urban cable cars are increasingly being used to connect isolated neighborhoods.

France’s first urban cable car was built in Grenoble in 1934, and the “bubbles” have become an iconic symbol of the city. The launch of the C1 line in the Ile-de-France region marks a significant development in the country’s urban transportation landscape. As cities continue to grow and expand, innovative solutions like cable car systems are being explored to address transportation challenges and improve connectivity. With its relatively low construction cost and efficient travel times, the C1 line is expected to make a positive impact on the daily commute of residents in the southeastern suburbs of Paris.