After three and a half years, construction of the new 10-seater gondola lift ‘FlemX’ has been completed. The lift, consisting of five sections, is based on the globally unique ‘rope taxi’ technology. It not only provides direct access to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sardona above Flims, but also makes the area around Cassons accessible again by a gondola lift.
This major project was financed by the municipality of Flims and the Weisse Arena Group with support from the canton of Graubünden. The investment volume amounted to CHF 80 million. The railway is fully automated and operates on demand. The ropeway technology used was developed specifically for this project by the Weisse Arena Group and Bartholet Maschinenbau AG.
As with all gondola lifts, the cabins travel along the cable. However, in the station, the cabins move autonomously on rails thanks to their own electric drive. If no gondolas are occupied, they are not on the track. Thanks to the innovative technology, passengers can board the stationary cabin with luggage or sports equipment without any hassle and with complete accessibility. In addition, energy consumption is expected to be reduced by up to 50%.
The lift comprises six stations and 108 gondolas. Each gondola can accommodate ten people, or five people if they are carrying mountain bikes. The lift has a capacity of 1,800 people per hour.
The first two sections (Flims–Foppa and Foppa–Startgels) have been in operation since December 2023. This was followed in December 2024 by the opening of the two further sections, Startgels–Segnes and Segnes–Nagens Sura. The final section, Segnes–Ils Cugns (Cassons), was opened in December 2025.
Timeline
Complete opening of the FlemX
The opening of the fifth and final section (Segnes – Ils Cugns) and thus the complete opening of the FlemX took place on 20th December 2025. Guests once again have access to a continuous, modern gondola lift from the valley at 1,100 meters up to 2,500 meters. The area around Cassons is now accessible by gondola lift again for the first time in over ten years.
On top of that, the gondola lift is renamed. The new name, ‘FlemX’, is intended to reflect the unique natural experience. The X stands for ‘experience’ and underlines the aim of making every stay in the mountains a special experience.
Construction diary - Episode 8: Alpine Conscruction
In the latest episode of the FlemXpress construction diaries, Alicia Martinez from the FlemXpress project management team reports on the final stages of construction of the innovative cable car. After more than three years of construction and numerous logistical and structural challenges in the high alpine terrain, the final station at Cassons is now ready to go into operation. Marianne Diebold explains the environmentally friendly integration of the stations, while Jan Megert describes the technical work that was necessary to complete and integrate the system on the electronic side. Guests can now look forward to impressive views of Flims, the “Tschingelhörner” and the two “Segnesböden”.
Completion of the final construction work and technical commissioning of section 5
The final commissioning work is currently underway on the fifth section of the FlemXpress. Approval by the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) is pending. The operating licence is expected to be granted at the end of November 2025.
The technical commissioning of the new station by SISAG will start in fall 2025. During this phase, it will not be possible to get off at the Segnes station. After the end of the summer season, the entire FlemXpress will be closed for final tests from October 20, 2025.
Column joining and wire rope hoist section 5
The supports for the Segnes – Ils Cugns (Cassons) section will be flown and installed in June and July. The rope tow will begin on August 18, 2025, while the Startgels – Segnes and Segnes – Nagens Sura sections will remain closed for a weekend. The Flims – Foppa and Foppa – Startgels sections will remain in operation. The command room, the shelter for guests and the platforms at the Ils Cugns station will also be completed in summer 2025.
Construction of the ils Cugns (Cassons) station
The construction of the station on Ils Cugns (Cassons) marks the start of construction of the final section of the FlemXpress. The station is located at 2,500 meters above sea level and will go into operation in winter 2025/26.
Successful acceptance of sections 3 + 4 and granting of the operating license by the FOT
On Friday, December 20, 2024, the FlemXpress will start regular rail operations, including its two new sections. These have been successfully approved by the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) and the operating license has been issued. From Friday, December 13 to Thursday, December 19, 2024, it will be possible to test the new sections from Startgels to Segnes and on to Nagens Sura and then give feedback on their journey.
Redimensioning of the Ils Cugns (Cassons) station
The construction project for the planned Ils Cugns station of the FlemXpress is being redimensioned. This involves a simplification including a massive reduction in the volume of the mountain station building. The route of the railroad and the location of the station will remain as planned. The operation of the Ropetaxi system will also remain unchanged. In addition to reductions in the building volume and building area, the project simplification also results in reductions in the material to be delivered, the concrete requirement and the excavation/fill. One positive effect of these reductions is, for example, the significantly lower impact on the landscape. For this reason, the environmental organizations Stiftung für Landschaftsschutz, WWF Graubünden and Pro Natura Graubünden also support the project optimization.
The station will now consist of a lightweight steel structure, similar in appearance to the Flims and Foppa stations. This visually unobtrusive building will blend in well with the landscape. The redimensioning of the station will also require fewer resources and shorten the effective construction time, which are the reasons for Cassons AG’s decision. A new building permit application is required for the structural adjustments with the project change. The plan is to start the concrete work as early as September/October 2024 once the building permit has been obtained.
Supports for sections 3 and 4 are installed
The supports for sections 3 and 4 of the FlemXpress are being installed in a spectacular way. Sections 3 and 4 will be open to guests from the 2024/25 winter season. At the same time, the supports of the old Grauberg aerial cableway will be dismantled. Meanwhile, the Segnes station is also under construction.
Commissioning of the first two sections Flims-Foppa and Foppa-Startgels
After a three-year development phase, followed by two months of intensive testing, the new 10-passenger FlemXpress gondola lift will go into operation on Saturday, December 23, 2023, with the opening of the two sections Flims-Foppa and Foppa-Startgels.
Construction diary - Episode 7: Rope technology
The seventh episode of the construction diary focuses on the FlemXpress rail rope. This is a Performa rope manufactured by the company Fatzer in Romanshorn. This rope impresses with its virtually vibration-free running, low noise levels and energy savings – properties that meet the high demands, as Curdin Caprez, Head of Mountain Railways/Infrastructure Projects at the Weisse Arena Gruppe, emphasizes. Matthias Stacher, Technical Sales Director at Fatzer, explains how the Performa rope works. The episode also offers an exciting insight into the complex and demanding work of rope splicing.
Construction diary - Episode 6: Resources
In the course of the construction project development, it quickly became clear that the sophisticated logistics and the selection of building materials in the Segnes area are crucial for minimizing grey energy. In the sixth episode of the construction diary, Mario Matter, overall planner at CWZ, explains how the on-site concrete production reuses numerous resources from the excavation and at the same time uses the existing Graubergbahn infrastructure for logistics. Forester Vincenzo Galati from Flims Trin Forst adds how wood, another regional building material, is being used sustainably.
Construction work in Startgels, Segnes and Nagens Sura
As soon as snow conditions permit, construction work will resume at the construction sites in Startgels and Segnes. In Startgels, the shell construction has progressed so far that the Rope-Taxi (railroad technology) will be installed in the summer. The first work on the station is also underway in Nagens Sura. The two sections Flims-Foppa and Foppa-Startgels, including the stations, will be completed by the end of 2023.
Construction diary - Episode 5: History & reuse
In 1945, the people of Flims built the world’s first detachable chairlift together with the VonRoll company – a pioneering achievement that ended around 75 years later to make way for a new innovation. With the world’s first Rope-Taxi system, the Bartholet company in Flims is now implementing a technology that enables autonomous travel on cable cars. In the fifth episode of the construction diary, Gion Caprez, Mayor of Flims, recalls the last ride on the chairlift and looks forward to the new lift and the development of the upper Segnesboden. Curdin Caprez, Head of Mountain Railways and Infrastructure at the Weisse Arena Group, is proud to be involved in shaping this new era and another world first in Flims.
Last ride and dismantling of the Flims-Foppa-Naraus chairlifts
The chairlift from Flims Dorf to Foppa was built in 1945 by the former Flims mountain railroads. It was the world’s first detachable chairlift. In 1947, the lift was extended to Naraus with a second section. The lifts were renewed in 1986 and 1989. With the “FlemXpress” construction project, another pioneering project is now being realized on the Flims-Foppa line, thereby continuing the history of innovation in chairlifts.
On March 26, 2023, the chairlifts will run from Flims to Foppa and on to Naraus for the last time. The popular chairlifts will be given a fitting send-off with a celebration for locals, second homeowners, guests and employees before the two chairlifts are dismantled. Only the concrete slabs at the Flims and Foppa stations will remain. The new FlemXpress stations will be built on them in summer 2023. The area around Naraus will no longer be served by lift.
Construction diary - Episode 4: Environment
After 15 years of planning, the FlemXpress is now being realized as a Ropetaxi system – a variant that was not a foregone conclusion from the outset. Close and constructive cooperation with environmental protection organizations made it possible to find a solution that does justice to the interests of all those involved as well as the landscape and wildlife habitat. In episode 4, Reto Gurtner, Raimund Rodewald and Martin Hug discuss this cooperation and explain how it was possible to create a form of “non-architecture” on the mountain.
Construction diary - Episode 3: The project
In the third episode, Claudio Deplazes, Project Manager Cassons 23, Claudio Casutt, Overall Planner CWZ and Marcel Caminada, Architect Caminada Architekten talk about the biggest challenges in the project and how they were overcome.
Construction work in Startgels and Segnes
The shell of the middle station in Startgels will be built from summer 2022. In Segnes, the excavation pit will be secured and the first excavation work will be carried out. The supports will be installed on the section between Foppa and Startgels in the fall. Due to the mild temperatures, construction work at both stations is progressing well.
Groundbreaking ceremony for the FlemXpress at the Flims valley station
After a long period of discussions and votes on the various options, the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony for the FlemXpress took place at the valley station in Flims. Markus Wolf, CEO of the Weisse Arena Gruppe, Martin Hug, Mayor of Flims, Gabriel Derungs, CEO of Erni AG Bauunternehmung, Claudio Casutt, planner/engineer at CWZ Bauingenieure und Planer AG and Claudio Deplazes, project manager at Cassons AG, were present.
Construction diary - Episode 2: The technology
What makes the Flem Xpress so unique? The second episode of the film construction diary focuses on the topic of technology. The solution used was specially developed for this project by the Weisse Arena Gruppe in collaboration with Bartholet AG. The lift runs on a cable like conventional gondola lifts, but in the stations the cabins move autonomously on rails – driven by their own electric motor. Unoccupied cabins remain in the stations and are not on the track. This demand-responsive system enables comfortable, barrier-free boarding in stationary cabins – even with luggage or sports equipment – without any time pressure.
Construction diary - Episode 1: The vision
The pioneering “FlemXpress” tourism project is being documented in the form of a film construction diary. The first episode, entitled “The Vision”, has now been released and features interviews with Martin Hug, Mayor of Flims, Roland Bartholet, CEO of cable car manufacturer Bartholet, and Reto Gurtner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Weisse Arena Gruppe.
Triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and the associated change in values, the Weisse Arena Gruppe took a critical look at its planned major projects – including the Cassons development. In numerous video conferences and planning meetings, Gurtner, Bartholet and Hug scrutinized the previous concepts and developed new approaches to meet the changing needs of guests and society.
Details
Completed
Winter 2023/24: Sections 1 and 2 (Flims-Foppa-Startgels)
Winter 2024/25: Sections 3 and 4 (Startgels-Segnes, Segnes-Nagens Sura)
Winter 2025/26: Section 5 (Segnes-Ils Cugns)
Bartholet Maschinenbau AG (railway/Ropetaxi system)
SISAG AG (controls/commissioning)
Weisse Arena Group + Municipality of Flims (contractor/principal
- New gondola lift with 6 stations for boarding and alighting and 108 cabins
- Passenger capacity per cabin: 10 people/seats
- Passenger capacity per cabin including bikes: 5 people/bikes
- Transport capacity per hour: up to 1,800 people
- Maximum speed: 6 metres per second
- Up to 50% lower energy consumption expected
- Direct lift access to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona World first: ‘Ropetaxi’ system
