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La Teleferica Massaua-Asmara

Pages: Cover-5, 6-9, 10-13, 14-17, 18-21, 22-25, 26-29, 30-end
The Zaga station where three lines come together, two coming from Massawa and the one headed for the highlands.


of various heights, according to the inconsistencies of the terrain, and of sufficient length (multiple trestle towers) when the slope change at that point is considerable.

Also the drawing cable is necessarily segmented, a single length not being possible on such a long route.

The whole cableway results, therefore, from the linking of partial cableways or sections, individual because of their own drawing cable and independent for their the motive power source, which can


The Dig Dig station viewed from the right of the aerial line, which reappears on the crest in the background after crossing the valley.


be limited to a given section or common to two contiguous sections. There are thus single-motor stations - like Ghinda, Nefasit and Godaif - and double-motor stations - like Zaga, Dogali and Dig Dig.

At the meeting point of two successive sections, that is, in the intermediate stations, the cars, so to speak, change drawing cables, freeing themselves automatically from that of one section to be connected with the other. Goods sent to one end of the cableway can thus travel its entire length without undergoing transfer operations.


A crossing of the aerial line over the highway near Nefasit.


The make-up of the Massawa-Asmara cableway is, therefore, the following:

  • Two sections operating in parallel departing, respectively, from Campo di Marte and the Munitions Dump (Massawa) and meeting at Zaga.

  • Nine successive sections in a chain from Zaga to Godaif (Asmara), with intermediate stations, respectively, at Dogali, Mai Atal, Dig Dig, Sabarguma, Ghinda, Embatkalla, Nefasit and Golei.

A beautiful view of the aerial cableway headed toward the highlands with the Embatkalla station.


All together the cableway counts 13 stations, eight of which are motorized and five are transfer points.

The potential for loading and unloading was planned for the intermediate stations of Mai Atal, Ghinda and Nefasit, as well as for the terminal stations. At Nefasit, because it is the beginning of the road to Decamere, a well known transit center for the interior. At Ghinda, because of the particular importance of the region, served also by rail link with the Eritrean Railways station.

Pages: Cover-5, 6-9, 10-13, 14-17, 18-21, 22-25, 26-29, 30-end

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