Cable Car running at 10% capacity since Olympics

[burneside]

Looks like the Boris cable car is turning into the white elephant many predicted.

From London Evening Standard.

Thames cable cars running at 10 per cent of capacity

The number of passengers using the cable-car link across the Thames has plummeted since the Olympics.

The £60 million Emirates Air Line between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks was opened on June 28 by Mayor Boris Johnson, who said it provided “a much needed river crossing”.

But it emerged today that the link, which was built to convey up to 2,500 passengers an hour, is now running at less than 10 per cent of capacity.

Full story here.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/lond...nning-at-10-per-cent-of-capacity-8214632.html

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Does this genuinely surprise anyone? Never been convinced by it, doubt I ever will be. Why was it actually built as a cablecar and not road- / foot-bridge?

 

[jamesontheroad]

Does the commercial agreement between TfL and Emirates (or whichever intermediary signed that sponsorship deal) allow for the fares to be reduced in line with standard zonal fares? It might attract a bit more custom if it were normal price.

 

[table38]

Cable Car running at 10% capacity since Olympics

Of course, it's quite nice as you get a gondola all to your self.

Although when I went, I stood back to let the couple in front of me have one to themselves, yet the guy behind me decided to push past me in the queue and jump in with the two in front of me for no apparent reason!

 

[transmanche]

Why was it actually built as a cablecar and not road- / foot-bridge?

It would be quite a long and unpleasant walk... 90m high and very exposed!

The Greenwich foot tunnel isn't far away (roughly between Cutty Sark and Island Gardens DLR stations) which seems more than able to cope with pedestrian traffic. As it is, taking the Jubilee line & DLR (North Greenwich-Canning Town-Royal Victoria) is a cheaper option than the cable car. At current prices it'll never be a practical commuter route.

So the reason for building it? Purely novelty.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Maybe in the upcoming October half term the ridership will increase due to everyone visiting London? I know I'm doing it then.

 

[table38]

Maybe they could dismantle it, and we'll have it in Manchester between Piccadilly and Victoria instead of the Ordsall Chord

 

[transmanche]

Maybe they could dismantle it, and we'll have it in Manchester between Piccadilly and Victoria instead of the Ordsall Chord

I was thinking that maybe installing it between Euston & St Pancras, when HS2 is built, might be useful...

 

[Fred26]

Seems a waste of time to me. The line goes from the 02 to nowhere. There's a decent DLR crossing and a Jubilee line crossing very close. Also, it's a walk at either end between actual stations and the cable car.
Built further downstream and closer to stations I'm sure it would've been wothwhile.

On the other hand, the views are excellent!

 

[table38]

Sure, but the view isn't very interesting.

You get to see the Dome, the Thames Barrier, London City Airport, a distant view of the Olympic Park and Greenwich, and a very good view of a scrap yard on the north bank of the Thames, but it's not exactly "touristy".

If you could see Big Ben or Tower Bridge or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, it might attract a few more tourists!

PS - top tip - don't get fooled by the oyster readers on the ticket machines. Knowing you could pay by oyster, I saw them, assumed you needed to buy a ticket with your oyster card, but they are for oyster top-up only. Having then stupidly bought a ticket, I went round to the gates where I could have just used my oyster card at the gate!