A major fire protection system featuring Kentec Sigma XT panels has been installed on the recently redeveloped Stechelberg–Mürren–Birg-Schilthorn cable car line in Switzerland, helping safeguard one of the world’s most ambitious mountain transport projects.
James Bond Landmark Redeveloped
The cable car line, famous for its appearance as Piz Gloria, Blofeld’s mountaintop lair in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, has undergone a $112 million redevelopment as part of the SCHILTHORNBAHN 20XX project.
Originally constructed in the 1960s, the aerial cableway system in the Bernese Oberland region had reached the end of its technical lifespan.
The upgrade has doubled passenger capacity from 400 to 800 people per hour and reduced travel times between Stechelberg and the Schilthorn summit by 10 minutes.
The first section of the route between Stechelberg and Mürren has also been replaced with a direct connection featuring a gradient of 159.4%, making it the steepest aerial cable car in the world.
Integrated Fire Protection System
Swiss specialist Aero-X was commissioned to provide fire protection systems for the dual-track Funifor cable car system and electrical control cabinets located at all four stations.
The gondolas, which are equipped with solar panels and battery storage systems, are protected by Aero-X extinguishant units.
For the station infrastructure, Aero-X installed an integrated fire detection and suppression system featuring 14 Kentec Sigma XT panels connected to a central management system and supervised from the main control room
Why Kentec Was Chosen
Paul van Trigt, Aero-X CEO, said: “It is so steep the cable car has to exit through the roof of the station.The reason we used Kentec panels is that we needed to fulfil certain standards, in particular EN12094, EN15276-1 and EN15276-2.
“I love the XT panel because it is plug and play. Connected properly, it simply works: there is no complicated programming to be done.”
“Some of the cabinets have a relatively high voltage inside. High voltage can cause electromagnetic fields that can have a detrimental effect on smoke detection.”
Each cabinet has fire resistant cable connections, a sounder beacon, and both automatic and manual aerosol extinguishant release capabilities.
The two or three extinguishant units per cabinet are connected to the Sigma XT panel via Aero-X’s sequential activator.
He added: “This allows us to supervise the whole line and make sure all units are triggered in the event of a fire.”
Sequential Activation Technology
The extinguishant units are connected to the Sigma XT panels through Aero-X’s sequential activator technology.
This allows multiple units to activate in stages, with two units triggered initially and additional units activated every two seconds thereafter.
The approach enables larger numbers of extinguishant units to be deployed without exceeding the current limitations of the control panel, while providing enhanced fire protection in line with regulatory requirements.
Challenging Mountain Installation
While the fire protection technology itself proved straightforward to install, transporting equipment to the mountain stations presented a significant logistical challenge.
Materials had to be transported to each station during the construction phase despite limited access routes and infrastructure.
The new cable car system opened in summer 2025 and now provides visitors with a faster journey to the famous Schilthorn summit, supported by an advanced fire protection system designed to protect passengers, infrastructure and operations across the entire route.
