The new cable car to Sněžka is expected to be in 2013

Rychnov nad Kněžnou - The new cable car to Sněžka is expected to start construction next spring, and it could carry its first tourists in June 2013. However, the 330 million koruna project currently lacks confirmed funding. It is still unclear whether it will receive a 7.5 percent contribution from the state as part of the European Union subsidy. Mayor of Pec pod Sněžkou, Alan Tomášek, stated this to journalists today.
    According to Hradec Králové Region Governor Lubomír France, the region will now discuss further steps to secure funding for the project within the Severovýchod region. The Severovýchod region had suspended the allocation of grants for projects from the Regional Operational Program in mid-September in response to the government's August decision that the state would not contribute to their co-financing from 2011.
    However, in September, the government decided that regional programs would receive funding. The Severovýchod region is expected to take a new stance to officially approve the selected projects, including the cable car.
    The total subsidy for the cable car project is expected to be 230 million korunas. The rest will be financed by Pec pod Sněžkou from its own savings and primarily from a long-term loan of around 75 million korunas. According to Tomášek, the town is unable to secure these funds in the event of a loss of state contribution of about 24 million korunas. The governor acknowledged that in the case of an "emergency variant," it would be up to the regional council to consider whether the region would provide the town with funds.
    Currently, according to the mayor, the tender for the cable car construction contractor is underway. More than ten companies have picked up the documentation. The deadline for submitting offers is October 25. However, according to Drahoslav Chudoba from the company Dabona, which is organizing the project for the town, it is possible that the deadline for submitting offers may be postponed due to numerous inquiries from interested parties. The winning company should be announced by the end of this year. The main criteria for the competition are price and guarantees.
    However, according to Tomášek, the contract with the winning company will not be signed until financing for the project is clear. Pec pod Sněžkou will pay the installments of the ten- to fifteen-year loan for the cable car from the cable car's profits. The town's regular budget will not be burdened by the project, according to the mayor.
    Tomášek expects that construction consortia and cable car technology suppliers will apply for the competition. These could include companies like Doppelmayr, Leitner, and Pomagalski, according to Tomášek. The project budget for the cable car technology is estimated at around 150 million korunas.
    Construction of the cable car could begin in spring 2011. The existing cable car, over 60 years old, will cease operations in September 2011. The structure of the current cable car, including the concrete bases, will be dismantled. This will mainly be done with the help of a helicopter. The new cable car is expected to enter trial operation in June 2013. This means that tourists will not be able to access Sněžka via the cable car throughout 2012.
    The new cable car will feature four-seater cabins instead of the current open two-seater seats. Boarding the cable car will be more convenient as the lower station will be moved closer to the parking lot at the Lesovna lodge. The intermediate station on Růžová hora and the upper station on Sněžka will remain in their positions. The hourly capacity of the cable car will remain at 250 people.
    More people could access Sněžka, as the new system will better withstand wind. The current cable car can only operate up to a wind speed of 54 kilometers per hour on the second section and is out of operation on average for 120 days a year due to frequent strong winds. The new cable car is expected to function at wind speeds up to 90 kilometers per hour, potentially reducing the number of days out of service by 30 to 40. Up to 100,000 tourists use the cable car to reach the summit each year.
    The existing cable car is operated by the company Lanová dráha Sněžka, in which Pec pod Sněžkou holds a 71 percent share and the Trutnov company Region Turist Systém holds 29 percent. According to Tomášek, Pec has secured that all profits from the cable car's operation go to the town. The operating contract ends at the end of this year and, according to the mayor, it will likely be extended for another year. A tender for the operator of the new cable car will likely be issued, according to the mayor.