La Paz/Bolivia – The Teleférico in La Paz is the world’s longest and densest urban cable car system. It connects La Paz, a vibrant city of millions, to El Alto higher up and takes some of the pressure off the overcrowded streets. Slide rails made of Robalon by Röchling ensure that the gondolas of the Teleférico are guided into the stations efficiently and reliably.
The cableway gondolas float slowly over the roofs and streets of the Bolivian city, La Paz. Far below the gondolas there is the usual chaos of a big city: cars and minibuses stand in queues in the narrow streets, traders make their way through the congestion to sell their goods. The Teleférico connects La Paz to El Alto higher up and takes some of the pressure off the overcrowded streets.
People get on and get off at 20 stations. To enable them to do so, the gondolas are slowed down by means of a guide system. In this guide system slide rails made of Robalon by Röchling ensure efficient, safe operation. The slide rails are machined in Austria according to the customer’s drawing. With its outstanding sliding properties and high wear resistance this material contributes to a smooth operation and offers a long service life. Thanks to its high UV and weather resistance it is well suited to continuous operation outside under the South American sun.
The Teleférico is a real benefit to people. The journey from La Paz to El Alto takes only a few minutes. By bus or car it normally takes an hour or more. La Paz lies 400 metres further down, at 3,600 metres, so a cable car system was the right way to overcome the altitude difference. This unusual way of getting to work saves people a lot of time.