First section of Varanasi ropeway to be ready by August 2024

India’s first urban ropeway is gaining steam with the section linking Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station to RathYatra expected to complete by August 2024. This is part of the Varanasi Ropeway Project which comes under the National Ropeways Development Programme, ‘Parvatmala Pariyojana’. The centre has identified 200 projects worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore to be executed under the programme.

According to officials aware of the progress of the ropeway, this section will help in improving connectivity to key locations in Southern and Western nscost of Rs 645 crore.

“Construction of this ropeway commenced in May 2023. The civil works of the first section are nearing completion,” a senior official told ET while adding that two towers have been installed at the proposed site at Varanasi.


Post completion, there will be 28 structures and over 150 gondolas plying on this 3.85-kilometre project which operates over congested parts of the city. It will connect Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station to Kashi Vishwanath Corridor (Godowlia Chowk) through Vidyapeeth and RathYatra stations. Travel time over this stretch is expected to come down from 45 minutes to 16 minutes for the proposed alignment.
parts of the city from Varanasi Cantonment Station. The Phase I of Varanasi Ropeway is planned for completion by 2025 at an estimated co
This project was awarded in Dec 2022 and is designed to carry 96,000 passengers every day. A joint venture of Vishwa Samudra Engineering (VSE) with Bartholet Maschinenbau AG, a Switzerland based ropeway equipment supplier is executing this project. VSE has been awarded the Development, Operation and Maintenance of the ropeway project under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).