KASHI ROPE WAY

India’s first urban public transport ropeway, connecting pilgrims from the railway station to Kashi Vishwanath Temple area.

* KEY DETAILS

Length: 3.75 km

Route: Varanasi Cantt Railway Station → Kashi Vidyapith → Rathyatra → Girja Ghar → Godowlia Chowk

Stations: 5 total. 4 for passengers + 1 technical station at Girja Ghar

Travel time: 15-16 minutes Cantt to Godowlia vs 45-50 min by road

Capacity: 153 gondolas, 10 people each = 3,000 passengers/hour/direction. ∼96,000 per day

Operating hours: 16 hours daily

Height: Towers 10m to 55m tall, gondolas run 45-50m high. 

Fare Structure - Approved June 2026 

Full route Cantt to Godowlia: ₹50

Cantt to Vidyapeeth: ₹10  

Vidyapeeth to Rathyatra: ₹20

Kashi Smart Pass: 20% discount → Cantt to Godowlia = ₹40

Premium gondola: ₹2,000 per trip. Group booking ₹1,200 per gondola

Annual hike: 5% increase every April 1

* LAUNCH STATUS

Trial runs: Started May 2026 on 3-km Cantt to Rathyatra stretch

Current status: 3 stations complete, full-speed + load testing ongoing

Expected opening: May 2026 to August 2026. Targeting inauguration by Dev-Deepawali in November 2026

Cost: ₹800-807 crore project by NHLML. 

* FEATURES

Smart pass system like metro for regular commuters

Cloakroom at Cantt: Free luggage storage for first 2 hours, then ₹50/hour for up to 15kg

Modern stations: Lifts, escalators, CCTV, fire safety, digital ticketing, wheelchair access

Tech: Swiss Bartholet Maschinenbau tech, German Porsche Design Studio gondolas, SCADA monitoring, sensors on all 30 towers

Safety: European CEN standards, 3-layer safety, 15-year O&M by NHLML + Vishwa Samudra Engineering

Why it matters  -

Cuts traffic congestion to Kashi Vishwanath Dham & Dashashwamedh Ghat

Pilgrim footfall at temple went from 5,000/day to 2 lakh/day - roads can’t handle it

Metro wasn’t feasible due to narrow lanes/dense pockets, so ropeway chosen

Quick example: You’re at Varanasi Cantt station with train luggage. Take ropeway for ₹50, reach Godowlia in 15 min, store bags free for 2 hours, walk to Vishwanath Temple.