Municipality Of Meiringen Extends Lease With Seilbahnen Schweiz

After lengthy and intensive negotiations, the municipality of Meiringen and the Swiss Cable Car Association (SBS) signed a new lease and a preliminary agreement on July 30, 2025. Thanks to the substantial support of the Canton of Bern, the signing of the contract represents a mutually agreeable agreement. This fulfills the prerequisites for continuing the long-standing and successful partnership with the Swiss Cable Car Training Center into the future.

The parties agreed, among other things, to a 25-year lease. Along with the lease, the parties also signed a preliminary agreement outlining the construction measures and development steps of the national training center at the Meiringen site. Council of States member Hans Wicki, President of the SBS, expressed his delight at the signing of the contract. "In order to be able to offer a professional training infrastructure, further development at the Meiringen site is crucial for the SBS. Only in this way will we be able to attract young people to the attractive training opportunities in the cable car industry."

Christoph Ammann, Councilor of the Canton of Bern, also attended the contract signing. As Head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Energy and Environment of the Canton of Bern, he was instrumental in the municipality's acquisition of the Zeughaus site and the establishment of the training center during his tenure as mayor of Meiringen. Ammann is convinced that "the training center located in Meiringen is an ideal fit for the Canton of Bern, which is home to a strong tourism industry and continually sets benchmarks with innovative projects and modern development steps."

With the signing of the contract, another important milestone has been reached in the "unbundling project" with Alpen Energie. The long-term contract provides a solid foundation for the long-planned establishment of a "building company" based on the four-pillar model. "The intensive negotiations concluded with a positive outcome for all parties involved," commented Daniel Studer, Mayor of Meiringen. "Important foundations have now been laid that will enable economic development and financial options for the municipality. Together with the residents and our partners, we now want to implement the remaining two pillars and complete the unbundling project."

In the coming weeks, the municipal council and administration will set the schedule and finalize the documents, then inform the public as best as possible about the planned steps. A ballot vote on the establishment of a "Building AG" and the relocation of the Zeughausstrasse property is scheduled to take place before the end of this year. The relocation, which will facilitate the modern development of the site, will also enable the municipality to generate a larger amount of liquid funds. These are important for the planned renovation of the indoor swimming pool and gymnasiums.