Varanasi ropeway takes just 16 minutes to reach Kashi Vishwanath Temple from Cantt railway station instead of 45 minutes by road; trial run begins, check ticket price and opening date

Varanasi’s traffic choked roads may soon not be the only way to get around. The country’s first public transport ropeway is nearly done, and trial runs have begun on the Rathyatra-Godowlia stretch. The Times of India took a gondola ride on Tuesday ahead of the launch. It will take commuters, pilgrims and tourists above the jams.

The ropeway will take passengers from Varanasi Junction railway station (Cantt) to Godowlia in just 16 minutes. By road, the same trip usually takes more than 45 minutes. That is about a third of the time. It bypasses some of the city’s most congested stretches, so traffic delays are skipped.

The ride from Cantt to Godowlia will cost Rs 50. For that, passengers get a trip that is far faster than the road journey. Officials say the ropeway will be a faster, greener and more economical way to travel in one of India’s busiest pilgrimage cities. It is also expected to ease pressure on roads.

The ropeway begins at Varanasi Junction (Cantt railway station). It then passes through Kashi Vidyapeeth and Rathyatra and ends at Godowlia. Passengers going to Kashi Vishwanath Temple can get off at Godowlia, from where the shrine is barely 700 metres away. The service is meant for commuters, pilgrims and tourists alike.

The ropeway is expected to start operations around Dev Deepawali, which falls on November 24. The formal inauguration date is not yet fixed. Divisional commissioner S Rajalingam told TOI that a decision on the date is expected within a fortnight. So the exact opening day should be known by mid November.

Nearly 95% of the project is complete. Attention has now shifted to trial runs on the Rathyatra-Godowlia stretch. Rajalingam told TOI that the service will run along the full length between Cantt and Godowlia from the day it opens. He said the agency is leaving no stone unturned to finish all basic exercises on the final stretch.

The ropeway has been built at a cost of nearly Rs 800 crore. It is described as a state of the art system and the country’s first ropeway meant for public transport. The project aims to change how people move in one of the world’s oldest living cities, by lifting some of the load off crowded roads.

After taking a gondola ride, TOI found the experience is not very different from travelling by metro. The gondolas rise above the traffic and give riders a view of the city while they move. For pilgrims heading to Kashi Vishwanath, it means a quicker, cleaner and more reliable trip from the railway station. (Inputs from TOI inputs)