When you are working on a project designed to take 800 people an hour up to a height of 2,970m, no priority is more paramount than public safety.
So when Aero-X was commissioned to build and install fire protection systems for the recently redeveloped, world-famous Stechelberg–Mürren–Birg-Schilthorn cable car line, the team opted to include Kentec Sigma XT panels in their systems at all four stations.
Here, we take a look at the scale of the project, which has its roots in a recognisable set for a James Bond film, and how Aero-X used Kentec technology as an integral part of its mountain-spanning fire protection solution.
License to thrive
Famous for its role as Piz Gloria, Blofeld’s mountaintop lair in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the Stechelberg–Mürren–Birg-Schilthorn cable car line has recently undergone a $112 million redevelopment.
Originally built in the 1960s, the multi-stage aerial cableway system in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland was reaching the end of its technical lifespan.
The SCHILTHORNBAHN 20XX project has increased capacity, from 400 to 800 people an hour, and reduced the travel time from Stechelberg, on the valley floor, to the peak at Schilthorn, by 10 minutes. In addition, the first leg of the journey, from Stechelberg to Mürren, has been replaced by a new direct line with a gradient of 159.4%, making it the steepest aerial cable car in the world.
Setting the scene, Paul van Trigt, Aero-X CEO, said: “It is so steep the cable car has to exit through the roof of the station.”
Paramount safety
Swiss company Aero-X was asked to provide the dual-track Funifor cable car system and electrical control cabinets at all four stations with fire protection systems. The gondolas, which have solar panels and battery storage, are protected with Aero-X extinguishant units.
The station cabinets element of the project features an integrated system of detection and suppression, run by a total of 14 Kentec XT panels which are connected to the management system and supervised from the control room. van Trigt explained that the cabinets are “doubled up” at each station, in order to provide continuity of service in event of failure.
“The reason we used Kentec panels is that we needed to fulfil certain standards, in particular EN12094, EN15276-1 and EN15276-2. ” he said, adding that ease of use also played a role in the decision. “I love the XT panel because it is plug and play. Connected properly, it simply works: there is no complicated programming to be done.”
Most of the cabinets have smoke sensors, while others have heat sensors instead. “Some of the cabinets have a relatively high voltage inside,” explained van Trigt. “High voltage can cause electromagnetic fields that can have a detrimental effect on smoke detection.” Each cabinet has fire resistant cable connections, a sounder beacon, and both automatic and manual aerosol extinguishant release capabilities.
The two or three extinguishant units per cabinet are connected to the Sigma XT panel via Aero-X’s sequential activator. “This allows us to supervise the whole line and make sure all units are triggered in the event of a fire,” van Trigt said, adding that this happens on a two-second delay. “Two units are triggered, then we wait two seconds, then the next two are triggered, etc.” The main purpose of the sequential activator, he went on, is to ensure units are able to activate in large numbers when necessary. “Otherwise, you are limited by the current the panel can supply.” This approach provides a higher level of fire security, in line with regulatory requirements, he added.
The biggest challenge of the project, said van Trigt, was more logistical than technical. “Taking the materials up the mountain to each respective station and install them during the construction phase was difficult, because there was really nothing to use. We had to find other ways!”
The new and improved cable car line opened in Summer 2025. And James Bond fans, cable car enthusiasts, and tourists alike can now travel the jaw-dropping route, safe in the knowledge that the combined expertise of Aero-X and Kentec is keeping them safe from fire.
About the Author
Dave Staddon - Publisher
Co-Founder of MDM Publishing Ltd. He has worked in fire publishing for close to 30 years. The company's portfolio includes International Fire Protection, International Fire Fighter, Asia Pacific Fire, Gulf Fire & UK Fire.
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