Top 100 Cable Car Engineering Vocabulary Words | Switzerland

A cabin moves above a valley; a funicular climbs on rails; a chairlift carries a line of seats. They may all appear in the same Swiss travel conversation, but they do not work in exactly the same way. This guide teaches 100 English vocabulary entries for explaining cable transport: what supports the vehicle, what moves it and what determines the service it can provide.

Switzerland makes the distinctions concrete. Seilbahnen Schweiz, the national industry association, describes ground-based funiculars as well as several aerial systems, with examples in mountain and urban settings. The vocabulary is useful for technical reading, geography, design comparisons and accurate visitor information. It does not assume that every Swiss community has the same transport needs or language.

Start by classifying a system before learning its smaller components. Then practise a capacity calculation and rewrite a service notice without losing its conditions. “Top 100” is a curated learning selection, not a frequency ranking. The example scenes and numbers are invented for learning; the official sources supply the documented Swiss context and system distinctions.

Start with the learner and context

• Classify first, calculate second
• Swiss systems beyond one mountain postcard

Vocabulary groups: all 100 entries

• Identify the transport system · entries 1–10
• Separate support from movement · entries 11–20
• Describe how the system is arranged · entries 21–30
• Read the route through the landscape · entries 31–40
• Use the language of forces · entries 41–50
• Describe motion and its supply · entries 51–60
• Explain how many people can travel · entries 61–70
• Talk about equipment condition · entries 71–80
• Read service conditions precisely · entries 81–90
• Turn the diagram into an argument · entries 91–100

Worked learning, practice and next steps

• Capacity is a conditional calculation
• Keep the condition in the service notice
• Compare systems and repair the claims
• Questions about cable car vocabulary
• Choose the next task by the uncertainty
• Sources and further reading

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Look at a transport image and answer three questions: does the vehicle run on rails or hang from a system above it; does it circulate or shuttle; what supports it and what pulls it? If the photograph cannot establish an answer, say so. A hidden mechanism is not made visible by a confident adjective.

If you call every uphill vehicle a cable car, begin with entries 1–10. If you recognise the vehicle but cannot separate support from propulsion, use entries 11–30. If you know the machinery but treat cabin size as hourly capacity, move to entries 61–70 and the worked calculation.

A useful diagnostic task gives a learner two diagrams with different rope functions. Ask for a comparison in three sentences, then change one arrangement. If the learner repeats the original explanation unchanged, practise reading the diagram rather than memorising a longer list. Correct terminology matters because it preserves the relationship between the parts.

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The Seilbahnen Schweiz guide to cableway systems distinguishes funiculars on a fixed track from aerial systems. Its examples include urban funiculars such as Zurich’s Polybahn and Bern’s Marzilibahn, as well as mountain installations. This variety is a useful correction to the idea that cable transport has only one setting or purpose.

The same guide distinguishes systems in which one rope both supports and hauls the vehicle from arrangements with separate support and hauling ropes. It also explains circulating gondolas and cabins that shuttle between stations. These distinctions concern functions and movement patterns; a photograph’s scenic background is not enough to classify them.

The association’s overview of cableway construction describes system choice in relation to the purpose and site. For a classroom comparison, begin with the route, terrain and intended demand. Do not assume that the largest cabin, longest span or most complicated mechanism is automatically the most suitable choice.

Switzerland is multilingual, and a traveller may encounter different local labels. This guide uses English technical vocabulary rather than presenting a single local-language naming system as universal. For a real journey, use the operator’s current information for the specific route; the educational examples below do not state opening times, prices or operating conditions.

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Cable car can be used broadly in everyday English. In a technical explanation, name the relevant system and say whether the vehicle runs on rails or hangs above the ground.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
1. cable car	Vehicle pulled by a cable; specify an aerial system when that is intended.	an aerial cable car	Our Swiss transport presentation compared an aerial cable car with a railway.
2. ropeway	Transport system in which a rope supports or pulls carriers.	a passenger ropeway	The diagram showed a passenger ropeway crossing a valley.
3. funicular	Cable railway whose vehicles travel on rails up and down a slope.	a hillside funicular	The hillside funicular stayed on rails throughout the journey.
4. gondola	Enclosed cabin on an aerial ropeway; also used for the system.	a gondola cabin	The gondola cabin appeared as a small rectangle in our drawing.
5. chairlift	Aerial lift with suspended seats rather than enclosed cabins.	a detachable chairlift	The student compared a detachable chairlift with an enclosed gondola system.
6. aerial tramway	Aerial cable system commonly using cabins that shuttle between stations; terminology varies internationally.	a reversible aerial tramway	The reversible aerial tramway moved back along the same route.
7. carrier	Vehicle or suspended unit that carries people or goods.	a passenger carrier	The passenger carrier was labelled separately from the supporting rope.
8. cabin	Enclosed passenger compartment.	a spacious cabin	The brochure described a spacious cabin, but gave no hourly passenger figure.
9. station	Place where passengers board or leave and where system equipment may be housed.	an upper station	The upper station stood above the lower terminus in the diagram.
10. terminus	End point of a transport route; plural termini or terminuses.	the lower terminus	The map marked the lower terminus beside the connecting bus route.

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Ask two questions: what carries the load, and what supplies movement? Sometimes one rope performs both functions. In other systems the functions belong to different ropes.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
11. support	Carry a load or hold something in position.	support the cabin	The explanation identified which components support the cabin.
12. propulsion	Action of driving something forwards or along its route.	cable propulsion	Cable propulsion supplied movement while another component carried the load.
13. haul rope	Rope that pulls a carrier or carriers.	a moving haul rope	The moving haul rope was shown with directional arrows.
14. track rope	Supporting rope along which an aerial carrier's carriage travels.	a stationary track rope	The stationary track rope supported the carriage in this system diagram.
15. carriage	Wheeled assembly that travels along a supporting track or rope.	a wheeled carriage	The close-up drawing placed the wheeled carriage above the cabin.
16. grip	Device that attaches a carrier to a hauling rope.	a detachable grip	The guide explained the purpose of a detachable grip without demonstrating its operation.
17. hanger	Member connecting a cabin or chair to the assembly above it.	a cabin hanger	The cabin hanger appeared between the enclosure and the carriage.
18. sheave	Grooved wheel that guides or supports a rope.	a grooved sheave	The illustrator drew the rope passing over a grooved sheave.
19. tower	Elevated structure supporting ropeway components along the route.	a support tower	The support tower divided the route into two spans in our sketch.
20. span	Distance or section between two supports.	a long span	The long span crossed the open valley in the model.

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A circulating system and a reversible system have different movement patterns. Detachable refers to a designed connection, not to a loose or damaged component.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
21. monocable	Using one rope for both support and hauling in the relevant aerial system.	a monocable gondola	The monocable gondola diagram assigned two functions to one rope.
22. bicable	Using separate supporting and hauling ropes in the relevant system.	a bicable system	The bicable system used different colours for support and propulsion.
23. circulating	Moving repeatedly around a loop.	circulating cabins	The circulating cabins followed the loop shown by the arrows.
24. reversible	Able to change direction; here, shuttling between stations.	reversible operation	Reversible operation required a different capacity model from continuous circulation.
25. detachable	Designed to be disconnected from a specified attachment.	a detachable carrier	The detachable carrier could separate from the hauling rope within the station system.
26. fixed-grip	Having a grip that stays attached to the hauling rope during normal operation.	a fixed-grip lift	The fixed-grip lift required a different boarding explanation.
27. loop	Closed route that returns to its starting point.	a continuous loop	The coloured line formed a continuous loop through both stations.
28. shuttle	Move repeatedly back and forth between points.	shuttle between stations	The two cabins would shuttle between stations in the simplified animation.
29. alignment	Position and direction of a route or set of components.	the route alignment	The team compared two options for the route alignment.
30. configuration	Arrangement of components within a system.	a different configuration	A different configuration changed which rope performed each function.

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Vertical rise is not the same as route length. A plan view and a side profile reveal different features, so say which drawing supports your statement.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
31. terrain	Physical features of an area of land.	steep terrain	The design brief described steep terrain near the proposed route.
32. gradient	Rate of slope, often expressed as a ratio or percentage.	a steep gradient	The steep gradient belonged to the railway profile, not the page layout.
33. elevation	Height relative to a stated reference level.	station elevation	The student checked the reference used for each station elevation.
34. vertical rise	Difference in height between a route's lower and upper points.	a substantial vertical rise	A substantial vertical rise did not tell us the route's full length.
35. route length	Distance measured along the transport route.	the total route length	The total route length exceeded the vertical rise.
36. clearance	Space separating a moving system from another object or surface.	ground clearance	The drawing labelled ground clearance without suggesting an operating limit.
37. foundation	Base that transfers structural loads into the ground.	a tower foundation	The tower foundation was shown below the surface line.
38. anchorage	Arrangement securing a component and transferring its forces to a supporting structure.	a rope anchorage	The rope anchorage appeared at the end of the support system.
39. profile	Side-view outline or representation of changes along a route.	a longitudinal profile	The longitudinal profile revealed rises hidden in the plan view.
40. survey	Systematic measurement of a site or area.	a site survey	The site survey supplied information for the route comparison.

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Mass and weight are related but distinct. These introductory terms help you read explanations; they do not replace a structural analysis or an equipment specification.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
41. load	Force or burden carried by a component or system.	a passenger load	The example distinguished passenger load from the cabin's own weight.
42. tension	Pulling force carried by a rope or other member.	rope tension	Rope tension was represented by arrows along the cable.
43. compression	Force tending to squeeze or shorten a member.	a compressive force	A compressive force appeared in the simplified support diagram.
44. bending	Deformation or loading that curves a member.	bending stress	The engineering glossary introduced bending stress through a labelled beam.
45. torque	Turning effect of a force about an axis.	motor torque	Motor torque belonged in the explanation of the drive.
46. friction	Resistance associated with contacting surfaces moving or tending to move relative to each other.	friction between surfaces	The demonstration used a simple model of friction between surfaces.
47. mass	Measure of an object's inertia, commonly stated in kilograms.	the cabin mass	The cabin mass was listed separately from its passenger capacity.
48. weight	Gravitational force acting on an object.	the combined weight	The combined weight included the cabin and its occupants.
49. balance	Condition in which relevant effects or forces offset one another.	load balance	The explanation discussed load balance without assuming equal passenger numbers.
50. counterweight	Weight used to oppose or balance another load or force.	a tensioning counterweight	The diagram included a tensioning counterweight as one possible arrangement.

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A motor, a drive and a gearbox are not interchangeable labels. Likewise, power measures a rate and energy measures a quantity transferred or used over time.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
51. drive	Mechanism supplying movement to a system.	the main drive	The main drive appeared inside the station outline.
52. motor	Machine that converts supplied energy into mechanical motion.	an electric motor	An electric motor supplied motion in the classroom system diagram.
53. gearbox	Mechanism using gears to transmit and change rotational speed and torque.	a drive gearbox	The drive gearbox was labelled as a component, not as the whole drive.
54. brake	Device that slows, stops or holds movement.	a braking system	The report named a braking system without giving operating instructions.
55. speed	Distance travelled per unit of time.	line speed	Line speed alone could not establish the number of passengers carried each hour.
56. acceleration	Rate at which velocity changes.	gradual acceleration	The illustrative journey began with gradual acceleration.
57. deceleration	Reduction in speed.	controlled deceleration	The animation used controlled deceleration near the station.
58. power	Rate of energy transfer or use.	motor power	Motor power was stated in kilowatts in the hypothetical specification.
59. energy	Quantity transferred or used in doing work or producing change.	electrical energy	The exercise calculated electrical energy over a stated period.
60. efficiency	Useful output compared with input on a stated basis.	drive efficiency	The comparison needed a clear definition of drive efficiency.

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Capacity, occupancy and throughput concern different quantities. A full-cabin calculation is a model with conditions, not a report of how many passengers actually travelled.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
61. capacity	Maximum or rated amount a system can accommodate under stated conditions.	hourly transport capacity	Hourly transport capacity was a limit in the model, not a passenger count.
62. occupancy	Number or proportion of available places actually used.	average cabin occupancy	Average cabin occupancy changed during the imaginary afternoon.
63. throughput	Amount actually passing through a system per unit time, or its achievable processing rate in a stated context.	passenger throughput	The exercise compared observed passenger throughput with theoretical capacity.
64. interval	Time between successive events.	a departure interval	A shorter departure interval increased the model's hourly capacity.
65. cycle time	Time required to complete one full repeating sequence.	a complete cycle time	The shuttle calculation included boarding in its complete cycle time.
66. queue	Line of people or items waiting for service.	a boarding queue	The boarding queue grew when arrivals exceeded departures.
67. bottleneck	Stage that restricts the overall rate of a process.	a boarding bottleneck	A boarding bottleneck limited the simplified system's throughput.
68. boarding	Action of entering a vehicle.	the boarding area	The boarding area was clearly marked in the plan.
69. alighting	Action of leaving a vehicle; formal transport vocabulary.	alighting passengers	The notice directed alighting passengers towards the exit.
70. connection	Link or transfer between transport services.	a bus connection	The learner checked whether a bus connection was guaranteed or merely suggested.

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Inspection gathers information; maintenance addresses condition and function. Technical vocabulary should clarify the account without encouraging untrained examination or operation of equipment.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
71. inspection	Organised examination of condition or compliance.	a routine inspection	The fictional service notice mentioned a routine inspection.
72. maintenance	Work intended to preserve or restore equipment condition and function.	scheduled maintenance	Scheduled maintenance was distinguished from an unexpected interruption.
73. wear	Gradual material deterioration through use or contact.	signs of wear	The training text referred to signs of wear without asking pupils to assess equipment.
74. fatigue	Progressive material damage associated with repeated loading.	material fatigue	Material fatigue described a component, not a tired passenger.
75. corrosion	Deterioration of material through chemical or electrochemical interaction with its environment.	corrosion protection	The glossary included corrosion protection as a maintenance topic.
76. sensor	Device detecting a physical quantity or condition.	a speed sensor	The speed sensor supplied information to the control system.
77. monitoring	Repeated or continuous observation of a condition.	condition monitoring	Condition monitoring generated information that staff could review.
78. control system	Arrangement that directs or regulates how equipment operates.	an automatic control system	The automatic control system was a separate box in the diagram.
79. redundancy	Provision of additional components or paths so one failure need not remove a required function.	system redundancy	The report discussed system redundancy without claiming that failure was impossible.
80. reliability	Ability to perform a required function under stated conditions over time.	operational reliability	Operational reliability needed evidence from a defined period.

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Forecasts concern future conditions; service notices concern the particular service they identify. Keep dates, locations and qualifications when passing information to another person.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
81. wind speed	Rate at which air moves at a specified location and time.	measured wind speed	Measured wind speed was recorded with its location and time.
82. gust	Brief increase in wind speed.	a strong gust	A strong gust appeared in the fictional weather description.
83. visibility	Distance or clarity with which objects can be seen.	reduced visibility	Reduced visibility changed the wording of the imaginary travel update.
84. forecast	Prediction of future conditions.	a weather forecast	A weather forecast was not a statement of current service operation.
85. suspension	Temporary stopping of a service; distinguish from a structure's suspended support.	service suspension	The notice described a service suspension rather than a permanent closure.
86. resumption	Starting again after a pause.	service resumption	No time for service resumption had been confirmed in the sample notice.
87. contingency	Possible event for which an alternative arrangement is prepared.	a contingency plan	The class asked what information a contingency plan should communicate.
88. accessibility	Extent to which people with different needs can use a place or service.	accessibility information	The traveller sought accessibility information for the specific station and vehicle.
89. assumption	Condition accepted for the purpose of reasoning or calculation.	a simplifying assumption	Full occupancy was a simplifying assumption in the capacity exercise.
90. limitation	Restriction on what a method, claim or system can establish or do.	a model limitation	The student stated a model limitation before presenting the answer.

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The final verbs help you classify, compare and justify. A useful explanation connects the selected system to stated conditions rather than announcing one design as best everywhere.

Entry	Meaning and usage	Natural collocation	Original contextual example
91. classify	Place something in a category using relevant features.	classify the system	We used support and movement to classify the system.
92. distinguish	Recognise and explain a meaningful difference.	distinguish two functions	The student could distinguish two functions performed by the same rope.
93. compare	Examine similarities and differences on a clear basis.	compare alternatives	The design group used the same criteria to compare alternatives.
94. calculate	Work out a quantity using numbers and relationships.	calculate capacity	We could calculate capacity only after stating the departure interval.
95. interpret	Explain the meaning of information in context.	interpret a diagram	The learner used the legend to interpret a diagram.
96. qualify	Limit or make a claim more precise by adding conditions.	qualify a prediction	The phrase 'if every place is occupied' helped qualify a prediction.
97. verify	Check a statement against suitable evidence.	verify service information	The visitor used the operator's current notice to verify service information.
98. summarise	Express the main points concisely.	summarise the comparison	Two sentences were enough to summarise the comparison accurately.
99. justify	Give reasons or evidence supporting a choice or claim.	justify a design choice	The group used the terrain and demand to justify a design choice.
100. revise	Change something after review or new evidence.	revise the estimate	We had to revise the estimate when the boarding interval changed.

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Consider a fictional circulating system with eight passenger places per cabin and a departure every twenty seconds in one direction. There are 3,600 seconds in an hour, so the model gives 3,600 ÷ 20 = 180 cabin departures per hour. With every place occupied, its theoretical hourly passenger capacity in that direction is 180 × 8 = 1,440.

Now suppose the observed average occupancy is five passengers per departure during a full hour with that same departure rate. The modelled throughput for that hour is 180 × 5 = 900 passengers. The cabin has not become smaller. The difference comes from how many available places were used.

State the assumptions: the interval is maintained for the whole hour, departures are not interrupted and the stated number of places applies. Boarding constraints and other operating conditions can change the achieved rate. These invented figures describe a classroom model, not the specification or actual performance of a Swiss installation.

If the interval changes to thirty seconds, there are 120 departures per hour. At eight occupied places each, the corresponding model gives 960 passengers per hour. A learner who keeps the earlier answer may have recalled the final number without understanding interval. Draw a minute with three departures, then a minute with two, before returning to the hourly calculation.

Do not apply this circulating-system formula blindly to a shuttle. A reversible system needs an appropriate account of its repeating cycle, including the relevant travel and station time. The first step in engineering language is to name the system your calculation actually describes.

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Invented notice for language practice: “The upper section is temporarily suspended. A further update will follow after the next assessment. No resumption time has been confirmed.” A careless summary might become “The cable car will reopen soon.” That adds a prediction the notice did not make.

A faithful summary is: “The upper section is currently suspended, and a reopening time has not been confirmed.” It preserves the affected section and the uncertainty. If you are passing along a real notice, retain its date and time as well, because current information can change.

Illustrative dialogue: Visitor: “The forecast looks better later. Does that mean the service will run?” Staff member: “The forecast and the operating decision are different kinds of information. Please check the operator’s update for this route.” The useful English distinction is between a prediction about weather and a confirmed statement about service.

This skill applies beyond tourism. Engineering teams, customer-service staff and students presenting a design all need to separate what is known, what is assumed and what depends on another condition. Careful qualification makes a statement more useful; it need not make the speaker sound hesitant.

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1. Which term fits a cable railway running on rails along a slope: funicular or gondola? 2. In the relevant bicable arrangement, which rope supplies pulling movement: haul rope or track rope? 3. Does vertical rise give the full distance travelled along a sloping route?

4. A fictional circulating system has six passenger places per carrier and one departure every thirty seconds. Calculate its theoretical hourly capacity in one direction with full occupancy. 5. The average occupancy is four people per departure over the same uninterrupted hour. Calculate throughput. 6. Repair “A larger cabin always means a shorter queue.”

Answers: 1. Funicular. 2. Haul rope; the track rope provides support in that arrangement. 3. No: vertical rise is a height difference, while route length follows the route. 4. 3,600 ÷ 30 × 6 = 720 passengers per hour under the assumptions. 5. 3,600 ÷ 30 × 4 = 480 passengers. 6. Queue length also depends on arrivals, departure rate, occupancy and constraints such as boarding; cabin size alone cannot establish it.

7. A notice gives no confirmed resumption time. Can a summary say “reopens at noon”? No: that invents information. 8. Explain why “detachable” does not mean “broken”. It describes a connection designed to separate as part of the relevant system’s operation.

For writing transfer, compare two fictional systems in 100 words: one runs on rails and shuttles; the other carries suspended cabins around a loop. State one difference in support, one in movement and one question you would ask before comparing capacity. Do not invent speed, passenger numbers or reliability. A strong comparison can be specific about what is known and explicit about what remains unknown.

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Is a funicular the same as a rack railway? No. A funicular uses cable haulage; a rack railway uses a toothed engagement for propulsion. Both may climb steep ground, but the shared setting does not make the mechanisms identical.

Does monocable mean a rope has only one strand? No. Here it classifies a system in which the relevant rope performs both support and hauling functions. It does not describe the rope’s internal construction.

Is capacity the same as the number of passengers carried? Capacity describes an available or rated amount under conditions. An observed passenger count or throughput describes what actually occurred over a specified period.

Can the list tell me whether a service will run in particular weather? No. It supplies language for understanding notices, not operating thresholds or decisions. Check the specific operator’s current information.

Should I learn all the component names first? Learn the system distinction first. A clear explanation using support, pull, rails and cabin is a better foundation than a long component list whose relationships remain unclear.

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For an introductory route, learn funicular, gondola, support, propulsion and station. Use them to describe two diagrams without prompts. For a technical route, add haul rope, track rope, circulating and reversible. For a communication route, start with the fictional service notice and practise preserving its conditions in a shorter version.

Students can check whether each calculation names its system, direction and time period. Parents can ask a learner to explain the difference between eight places in a cabin and passengers per hour. Teachers can change the departure interval or movement pattern to test whether learners adapt the reasoning. These small changes reveal more than repeating an unchanged worksheet.

The discussion in English Tuition | Switzerland is relevant to interpreting notices and preserving conditions across languages and contexts. Its attention to different language and learning settings fits this guide’s use of specific systems rather than a single national stereotype. Tuition | Zurich also distinguishes supported performance from independent method selection. The resources do not imply an eduKate centre in Switzerland.

Use the eduKate vocabulary learning hub to broaden your explanatory vocabulary. Your next independent task is to select a documented transport system, draw its support and movement functions, and write a short description with one unanswered question. Then explain why that question matters before someone can make a fair comparison.

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Source notes checked on 23 October 2026. The cultural or industry records below support the factual context; dictionary entries clarify selected English senses. Definitions and teaching examples are written for this learning guide. Dates attached to events and records refer to those specific sources.

• Seilbahnen Schweiz: Cableway systems
• Seilbahnen Schweiz: Cableway construction
• Cambridge Dictionary: funicular