Officialised last February, the cable car project to link Marseilles-Provence airport and Vitrolles SNCF station has just been given a boost with the publication by the Metropolitan Authority of a call for tenders for project management assistance. Candidates - including, no doubt, France's Poma - have until 12 November to apply, with the timetable envisaging the start of studies in March 2026 and commissioning in 2030. The creation of a multimodal hub is planned for Vitrolles station, in particular to facilitate rail links with Marseille Saint-Charles station. Journey time between the two stations is currently at least 36 minutes.
A 1 km journey completed in six minutes
Co-funded by the French government to the tune of €10.7m as part of its major plan to help the city of Marseille, launched by Emmanuel Macron at the end of 2024, the project is estimated to cost a total of €43m for this cable, which is just 1 km long and will take the cabins 6 minutes to cover. There will be just one stop along the way, at the Airbus Helicopters factory, where the airline group is contributing €3m to the project.
From the forecourt of the airport's terminal 1, the cabins will take off every 6 minutes, carrying 1,000 passengers every hour at a height of almost 20 metres. And to avoid days of disruption, the cable car will be able to operate in mistral winds gusting up to 110 km/h.
Vitrolles station linked to the Cap Horizon business park
Long before the cable car is completed, Vitrolles SNCF station will be connected to the 80-hectare Cap Horizon business park, which is currently separated by a hillock. A funicular lift is currently under construction and is due to come into service in May 2026.
