148 gondolas and a sixteen-minute ride: Kashi's ropeway lines up its trial run after Raksha Bandhan

The countdown Banaras has been keeping for years has moved another notch. Officials say the trial run of the Varanasi ropeway's 148 gondolas will begin after Raksha Bandhan, once the heaviest stretch of the monsoon is behind the city. The trial had been held back through the rains and the Rath Yatra crowds; before the cabins go up, engineers still have hook testing to finish, and the run itself is to be repeated at least four times before anyone signs off. The line everyone is waiting on is the one between Cant and Godowlia — a stretch that can swallow a good part of an afternoon when the lanes are full, and which the ropeway is designed to cover in sixteen minutes. It is being built as India's first ropeway meant for everyday urban transport rather than a hill-station joyride, which is why the checks are being done slowly and in public view. The stations are being finished with lifts and escalators, CCTV, fire-safety systems and digital ticketing, with the layout planned around older passengers, women travelling alone and people with disabilities. Equipment is to European standards and Swiss engineers are supervising the safety inspections; at Godowlia, flooring and welding work is still going on. No opening date has been announced — the trial is the next milestone, and it is worth watching for anyone who moves through the old city on a festival day.

Compiled by HelloBanaras from public sources: Amar Ujala — Varanasi · Pratahkal