Teleférico do Alemão

Teleférico do Alemão was a gondola lift service operating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The service opened on 7 July 2011 and closed in September 2016, following the withdrawal of state funding. The line operated between Bonsucesso Station [pt] and Complexo do Alemão, with a total of six stations along the route.^[2] The duration of a single ride from start to finish was 16 minutes.^[3]

Teleférico do Alemão

Many gondolas in operation
Overview
Service type	Gondola lift
Status	Suspended
Locale	Complexo do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro
First service	7 July 2011
Last service	14 October 2016
Current operator(s)	Rio Teleféricos
Former operator(s)	SuperVia
Ridership	10,000 passengers/day (2012)[1]
Route
Termini	Bonsucesso Palmeiras
Stops	4
Distance travelled	3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Average journey time	16 minutes
Technical
Track owner(s)	Government of Rio de Janeiro
Route map Legend Bonsucesso Adeus Baiana Alemão/Kibon Itararé Palmeiras

The service, announced as part of PAC 2 (the Brazilian federal funding program for infrastructure) consisted of a 2.1 mile gondola line running above the Complexo do Alemão group of favelas, and cost 210 million Brazilian reais to build.^[4][5] The decision to fund the construction of the line saw heavy criticism, with local media describing it as a vanity project,^[6] with the money potentially being better spent elsewhere. The system received 9000 riders daily whilst in operation.^[7]

History

The service was inaugurated by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Rio de Janeiro State Governor Sérgio Cabral Filho and Rio de Janeiro City Mayor Eduardo Paes on 7 July 2011.^[8] Local residents could apply for a card granting them two free trips a day.^[9]

Services were suspended in 2016 because the state couldn't pay the consortium anymore.^[10][11]

Services

The line consisted of six stations between Bonsucesso Station [pt] and Palmeiras Station in the Complexo do Alemão favela. The 152 gondolas took 16 minutes to traverse the 3.5 km route.^[2][12]