The new Jochbahn, the latest lift to claim the title of ‘fastest chairlift in the world,’ will start operating on the Brixner Sonnseite (“Sunny Side”) in the Skiwelt region of Austria’s Tirol, the country’s biggest ski area, this winter, and will be powered by solar electricity.
Detachable, comfortable and unbelievably fast at a speed of six metres per second (about two-and-a-half times faster than the previously lifts 2.4 metres per second), the new Doppelmayr built Jochbahn will be able to transport up to 3,000 passengers per hour, offering not only more speed and comfort, but also doubling the uplift capacity.
The Jochbahn deploys not just the very latest technology, but the route has been extended too. The new valley station is situated at the same level as Gasthof Nieding, so the lift is now more than double its previous length. But courtesy of this new technology, the journey time is considerably less compared to the old lift.
There’s a solar panel farm covering 180 sq.m (on the south side of the chair garage) and this has an important role in ensuring that the energy supply for new lift is sustainable. The new solar panel farm will generate around 25,000-28,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year.
The ski lift company at Brixen im Thale is investing in total around 12 million euros in this project.
