Urban cable railways are increasingly seen as a new means of transport in urban areas and are thus losing their previous one-sided functional orientation in tourist regions with ski resorts. Likewise, the previous focus on overcoming differences in altitude is no longer compelling. A large number of German cities are currently considering this, including the city of Essen. On behalf of Essen Marketing GmbH, the Chair of Economic Geography, Transport & Logistics at the University of Duisburg-Essen conducted a preliminary study to explore the possibility of setting up such an urban cable railway connection.

The aim of this application-oriented research study was to create an initial fundamental basis for further specialist planning for the realisation of an urban cable railway in Essen between the transport hub of Essen-Altenessen railway station and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein and to examine possibilities for a continuation in the direction of the Freiheit Emscher project as far as Bottrop.