MND Group
MND is one of the four major global players in the traditional ropeway and gondola transportation industry. Headquartered in France, the company maintains an international presence through a network of strategic partnerships.
While MND is not typically viewed as the most innovation-driven among the leading manufacturers, it has introduced several notable technologies. As a result, the company is often seen as a potential outlier in the race to develop next-generation aerial transit solutions, including systems that may align with the emerging concept of an urban supergondola.
In late 2017, MND unveiled its vision for urban mobility with the announcement of the CabLine system. The concept features large cabins traveling on a compact, three-cable guideway designed to reduce infrastructure impact while supporting high-capacity transit in urban areas.
According to MND’s website, CabLine was developed as part of its strategy to offer alternative mobility solutions for cities seeking to address congestion and improve public transport flexibility:
“(CabLine) is a new form of ropeway transport has been developed for the city with the support of France’s environment & energy management agency in a bid to meet the capacity, integration and maintenance requirements of today’s urban environment.”
Here are some promotional renders:
But since that time MND has been largely silent about the initiative. There was some mention of a “Cabline 2.0” at one point, but it seems like the concept has been largely scrubbed from their website.
There’s still a moment of what “could” be the “Cabline 2.0” concept 44 seconds into this 2023 corporate promotional video (below) for their Urban division - but it only shows 4 seconds:
Is it a supergondola?
At present, publicly available information on MND’s CabLine system is limited. Based on available materials, the concept appears to propose a distributed network of relatively compact stations intended for urban settings. Brief video footage suggests that CabLine 2.0 may support turning capabilities, potentially via rail segments - features that would align with some of the core elements required for an urban supergondola system.
When will it happen?
CabLine has been largely removed from MND’s official channels, which leaves its current development status unclear. This could indicate one of two possibilities: either the company is preparing a more comprehensive launch of an updated version, or CabLine was a conceptual project that is no longer actively being pursued.
Earlier reports outlined ambitious specifications for CabLine 2.0. The system was described as a next-generation, energy-efficient urban cable transport solution capable of carrying up to 5,000 passengers per hour in each direction, with operational speeds of up to 45 km/h. According to those reports, the system aimed to reduce energy consumption, noise pollution, and both installation and maintenance costs. In 2017, the project received €4.4 million in funding through France’s Investments for the Future program, administered by the national environment and energy agency.
Despite these early developments, there has been little public progress since that time. Whether MND intends to reintroduce the concept or has shifted its focus elsewhere remains unknown. While CabLine once showed promise as a potential supergondola solution, its future is currently uncertain.
Gondola half full or half empty? We still want to believe in MND, but their lack of updates is making it hard.