Queenstown Cable Car

New Zealand’s first aerial mass transit solution

Connecting major residential areas, commercial centres and transport hubs

The proposed Queenstown Cable Car network provides an integrated, electric-powered and automated mass rapid transit solution to address severe traffic congestion and resilience gaps in the Southern Lakes region. Improving public transport accessibility for a growing population of residents and visitors, the system will be capable of transporting up to 3,000 passengers per hour – the equivalent of a 50-seater bus departing every minute in both directions. This aerial cable car solution offers a low-emissions footprint, rapid implementation, and ease of integration with existing transport, cycling and pedestrian networks.

For local residents, navigating Queenstown’s roads has become increasingly difficult due to population growth, tourism pressures, and limited road capacity. Phase one of the cable car system will address these challenges by connecting the town centre with the airport and Frankton – a key employment hub, with future extensions planned to reach expanding residential areas, including Ladies Mile.

Jasmax is proud to support the Southern Infrastructure-led team, contributing station planning and urban context inputs for the future cable car network. This includes developing station-specific responses to topography, access, safety, location, connectivity with other modes and surrounding uses, alongside functional planning to ensure an efficient system for both passengers and operators.

Queenstown’s key arterial roads don’t have space for more lanes, we don’t have billions for tunnelled rail, and we certainly don’t have decades to wait. The situation is urgent – Queenstown needs a meaningful upgrade to its transport capacity by the end of this decade.

— Ross Copland, CEO of Southern Infrastructure

A function-first solution to congestion

The cable car system presents significant advantages compared to traditional land-based mass transit, offering a range of benefits for users and the wider community:

Complete separation from road congestion
Reliable and consistent travel times
High passenger capacity
Unmatched frequency
Low environmental impact and carbon emissions (electric-powered and largely automated)
Cost-effective delivery
Rapid implementation
Well-suited to Queenstown’s climate and topography
A compelling and enjoyable user experience

The proposal has been informed by a research tour of international cable car exemplars in Italy, Austria, France, and Singapore. This included the 4.5km Paris Cable 1 network currently under construction in Île-de-France, also designed to combat daily traffic issues.

The project will utilise the NZ Government’s Fast-track referral application process.

Project Details

Client

Southern Infrastructure

Sector

Transport & Infrastructure

Location

Tāhuna Queenstown

Discipline

Architecture, Urban Design

Status

Ongoing

Size

10km route