Swiss support for the reconstruction of the Trebevic cable car in Sarajevo

The Trebevic cable car was built in 1959 and proved particularly popular in 1984, for example, when the Winter Olympics were held in Sarajevo. It was destroyed during the 1992-96 siege of the Bosnian capital. The cableway links the city to the nearby Trebevic mountain, and its reconstruction has great symbolic importance: as the base station is in the city centre while the top station is located in an area with a Serb majority, it links the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Republika Srpska. This project is founded on close cooperation between two political entities – the Federation with a Bosnian-Croat majority and the Serbian republic – thus fostering relations between the two ethnic groups in a country which remains divided. 

The Swiss army is planning a total of four transports in 2011 and 2012. The first is due to leave Switzerland on 14 November, travelling via Italy, Slovenia and Croatia and reaching Sarajevo on 15 or 16 November. The European Union’s military mission, EUFOR, is assisting with the transfer and storage of the Hannigalpbahn equipment. Switzerland is financing the transport costs of CHF 150,000, these being split equally between the SDC and the Swiss Armed Forces.  

Completion and commissioning of the rebuilt Trebevic cable car is scheduled for 2013. This will be assumed by the City of Sarajevo with funding mainly from the EU.

FDFA contact:
FDFA Information
Tel. 031 322 31 53 

DDPS contact:
Walter Frik
SWISSINT Head of Communications
Tel. 041 619 58 16

Address for enquiries:

Information FDFA
Bundeshaus West
CH-3003 Bern
Tel.: +41 58 462 31 53
Fax: +41 58 464 90 47
E-Mail: info@eda.admin.ch

Publisher:

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports DDPS