Doppelmayr wins Panama City cable-car contract

Vorarlberg-based cable-car maker Doppelmayr has won a contract to build a 6.6-kilometre urban cable car in Panama City, ORF reported. The line is intended to improve transport links for the densely populated district of San Miguelito.

The accessible system will have six stations, connecting San Miguelito with key points in the public transport network. It is due to begin operating in 2029 and will be able to carry 2,800 passengers per hour in each direction. The line will run for 18 hours a day, with a journey time of about 26 minutes.

Doppelmayr did not disclose the contract value when asked by the APA news agency. Panamanian media reports have put it at about 255 million US dollars, or 226.6 million euros.

Panama’s President José Raul Mulino officially awarded the construction contract to Doppelmayr on October 15, according to the company. He said the cable car would improve quality of life for thousands of people who currently lose hours in traffic. San Miguelito Mayor Irma Hernandez called the project an important boost for the district’s economic development.

Doppelmayr executive board member Thomas Pichler said the project reflected Panama’s commitment to future-oriented urban transport. The company described the contract as another significant urban mobility project in Latin America and said it highlighted the growing role of cable cars in public transport systems.