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Nikki Sun

The Ngong Ping 360 cable car, one of Hong Kong’s most popular tourist attractions, is on track to reopen in June after a five-month closure for rope replacement work.
The 5.7km aerial tramway on Lantau Island has been shut since January to replace the cables, which reached the end of their lifespan after a decade of operation.
Weller Chan, project manager for the work, said it had not exceeded its initial budget of HK$80 million despite weather challenges and limited space for workers due to the location in a country park.
He said the project must be completed before the typhoon season hits the city in the summer to ensure the safety of workers.

The project included replacing a 10km haul rope, which pulls the cabins, and a 14km track rope which supports their weight.
Construction work for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge also added to difficulties with the project, Chan said. Work on the bridge occupied a site near the airport that could have been used for a rope pulley for the cable car. A boat had to be deployed instead to position the machinery.
Only way is up: Ngong Ping round-trip cable car ticket price to rise by as much as 12pc
“If the weather conditions remain stable, the project is expected to be completed in late May,” Chan said.
Dozens of experts from overseas were drafted in from Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Australia to help with the cable replacement project. All of them are staying in nearby hotels.


During the construction period, visitors who wish to see the city’s famed Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau have to take a bus or taxi from Tung Chung. The cable car operator expected a 40 per cent drop in visitor numbers this year due to the closure.
Despite economic weakness in Hong Kong’s tourism sector, the operator enjoyed 5.5 per cent growth in visitors last year thanks to strong online ticket sales and a rise in arrivals from across the Asia region.



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Ngong Ping 360

Ngong Ping 360 cable car on track for June reopening amid race to beat Hong Kong’s typhoon season

The 5.7km cable car system has been shut since January to replace ropes. Photo: Felix Wong

Press members to visit to the Ngong Ping 360 Rope Replacement Project. 26APR17 SCMP/Felix Wong

‘Challenging year’: Lantau Island’s Ngong Ping cable car visitor numbers fall 11pc in 2015

Stella Kwan, managing director of Ngong Ping 360, said maintenance days and weather conditions are two of the factors affecting visitor numbers. Photo: Felix Wong

News

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Economy

Aerial tramway on Lantau Island closed since January for HK$80 million cable replacement work
