New Grafenberg Gondola to Replace Three Wagrain Lifts Spanning Four Decades

Snow Space Salzburg's new Grafenberg gondola will replace infrastructure spanning four decades when it opens for winter 2026/27

Construction is now well underway on the new Grafenberg gondola at Wagrain, with the manufacturer releasing detailed specifications for the project. The new 10-person gondola will cover approximately three kilometres in two sections, rising 853 metres from the valley to the Grafenberg summit station in a journey time of around nine minutes. Capacity will sit at 4,000 people per hour - a figure that requires some context to appreciate properly.

What the new lift is replacing

The three lifts being retired represent nearly four decades of accumulated infrastructure, each built by a different manufacturer and serving a different function within the Grafenberg corridor.

The original Grafenbergbahn dates to 1985 and is the oldest of the three. Built by Swoboda, it was a 6-person gondola running 3,026 metres from the valley station at 862 metres to the summit at 1,713 metres - an 851-metre altitude gain. Its carrying capacity was 1,732 people per hour, and the trip took around 11 minutes. It formed the primary access from Wagrain to the upper mountain for four decades.

The Grafenberg Express 1, built by Doppelmayr in 2009, served a different role. An 8-person gondola covering 947 metres with a 374-metre altitude gain, it ran from 862 metres to 1,236 metres at a speed of five metres per second, with a transit time of around three and a half minutes and capacity of 2,400 people per hour. This lift was confirmed decommissioned at the end of last winter and will not return - it is being relocated to the Monte Popolo ski area in Eben im Pongau, where it will be rebuilt as a new access lift.

Completing the trio is the Grafenberg Express 2, a 6-person high-speed detachable chairlift with bubble and seat heating, built by Garaventa in 2001. Running 2,044 metres from a base at 1,236 metres to 1,716 metres, it covered the upper section of the Grafenberg corridor with a capacity of 2,400 people per hour and a transit time of approximately seven and a half minutes. This lift replaced a 2-person fixed-grip chairlift when it was installed.

In simple terms, the three lifts operated in sequence - the Grafenbergbahn or Grafenberg Express 1 handled the valley-to-mid section, with the Grafenberg Express 2 picking up the mid-to-summit run. The combined capacity of the valley lifts alone was effectively capped by the Grafenbergbahn's 1,732 per hour, and skiers still faced a transfer between sections.

One lift, two sections, one transfer point that matters

The new gondola resolves this with a single continuous system. Running as two sections, it will stop at a new mid-station built directly at the G-Link - the connector between Wagrain and Flachau. That positioning is deliberate. Rather than a mid-station existing purely for operational convenience, it functions as an interchange, making the Wagrain-Flachau connection faster and more direct. During peak holiday weeks when the corridor sees heavy traffic, that improvement in flow should be material.

Total capacity of 4,000 people per hour represents more than a doubling of what the original Grafenbergbahn could move, and passengers will now complete the full valley-to-summit journey without a lift change.

Construction and station works

Mid and mountain stations are both being fully renovated as part of the project. Snow Space Salzburg has confirmed the build is on schedule for the start of the 2026/27 season. The resort is also assessing which parts of the existing station infrastructure can be integrated into the new system - a practical approach to reducing waste rather than a complete demolition and rebuild.

New specifications at a glance

• Lift type: 10-person gondola lift
• Length: Approximately 3 kilometres
• Altitude difference: 853 metres
• Capacity: 4,000 people per hour
• Travel time: Approximately 9 minutes
• Mid-station: Direct connection to the G-Link
• Opening: Winter season 2026/27