NY Yankee
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London's impressive new £60million cable car system is set to give tourists panoramic views over the River Thames.
The Emirates-sponsored transport will be the first urban cable car system of its kind in the UK and will whizz people across the river between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks in just five minutes.
The new cable car is due to start carrying passengers this summer, just in time for the Olympics.
Gondolas will glide over cables suspended between 300ft white pillars and ferry Olympics spectators between two of the Games venues - the 02 Arena on the south bank of the Thames and the ExCel exhibition centre in east London.
Up to 34 gondolas will run across the river, each carrying a maximum of 10 passengers.
With a gondola every 30 seconds, it will be able to carry up to 2,500 people an hour across the river in each direction - something that Transport for London (TfL) says would take 30 buses an hour to achieve.
But Ken Livingstone, Labour's candidate for the London Mayoral Election, has slammed the new addition to London's skyline as 'the most expensive cable car in history'.
The cost of the cable car was originally estimated at around £25m and it was intended to be funded entirely by private investors.
Despite a 10-year sponsorship deal with the Dubai-based airline Emirates worth £36m, the cable cars will now have to be financed with public money.
However, TfL hopes the unusual transport system will prove its usefulness long after the Games, carrying up to two million people a year.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson, an enthusiastic supporter of the cable cars, described them as 'enthusiastic and innovative'.
Speaking in 2010 when the plans were first unveiled, the Mayor said: 'A cable car spanning the majestic Thames would not only provide a unique and pioneering addition to London's skyline, but also offer a serene and joyful journey across the river.
'Passengers would be able to drink in the truly spectacular views of the Olympic Park and iconic London landmarks whilst shaving valuable minutes from their travelling time.
'It would also provide a much needed enhancement of cross river options to the east of the city.'
London now joins cities including Barcelona, Cologne, Hong Kong, Lisbon, New York and Singapore who all operate cable car systems.
It is not yet known how much a trip on the cable car will cost, but TfL has said travellers will be able to pay by Oyster, the pay-as-you go card which already functions on London buses, underground trains and the Docklands Light Railway.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/a...tunning-views-River-Thames.html#ixzz1rjiJHai5
I've never seen a city with an intricate transportation system like London. This will relieve overcrowding on the Tube and provide tourists with spectacular views of downtown London. If/when I visit London, I will definitely ride this. New York has a small cable car system that connects Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. I posted a pic of it here:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=62634
The Emirates-sponsored transport will be the first urban cable car system of its kind in the UK and will whizz people across the river between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks in just five minutes.
The new cable car is due to start carrying passengers this summer, just in time for the Olympics.
Gondolas will glide over cables suspended between 300ft white pillars and ferry Olympics spectators between two of the Games venues - the 02 Arena on the south bank of the Thames and the ExCel exhibition centre in east London.
Up to 34 gondolas will run across the river, each carrying a maximum of 10 passengers.
With a gondola every 30 seconds, it will be able to carry up to 2,500 people an hour across the river in each direction - something that Transport for London (TfL) says would take 30 buses an hour to achieve.
But Ken Livingstone, Labour's candidate for the London Mayoral Election, has slammed the new addition to London's skyline as 'the most expensive cable car in history'.
The cost of the cable car was originally estimated at around £25m and it was intended to be funded entirely by private investors.
Despite a 10-year sponsorship deal with the Dubai-based airline Emirates worth £36m, the cable cars will now have to be financed with public money.
However, TfL hopes the unusual transport system will prove its usefulness long after the Games, carrying up to two million people a year.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson, an enthusiastic supporter of the cable cars, described them as 'enthusiastic and innovative'.
Speaking in 2010 when the plans were first unveiled, the Mayor said: 'A cable car spanning the majestic Thames would not only provide a unique and pioneering addition to London's skyline, but also offer a serene and joyful journey across the river.
'Passengers would be able to drink in the truly spectacular views of the Olympic Park and iconic London landmarks whilst shaving valuable minutes from their travelling time.
'It would also provide a much needed enhancement of cross river options to the east of the city.'
London now joins cities including Barcelona, Cologne, Hong Kong, Lisbon, New York and Singapore who all operate cable car systems.
It is not yet known how much a trip on the cable car will cost, but TfL has said travellers will be able to pay by Oyster, the pay-as-you go card which already functions on London buses, underground trains and the Docklands Light Railway.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/a...tunning-views-River-Thames.html#ixzz1rjiJHai5
I've never seen a city with an intricate transportation system like London. This will relieve overcrowding on the Tube and provide tourists with spectacular views of downtown London. If/when I visit London, I will definitely ride this. New York has a small cable car system that connects Manhattan to Roosevelt Island. I posted a pic of it here:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=62634
