The long history between ArcelorMittal and the funicular railway in Saint Hilaire du Touvet, France, continues, as the third steel rope in the railway’s history is being produced by ArcelorMittal’s site in Bourg-en-Bresse, France. ArcelorMittal will be supplying a 1,600m steel cable, due to be installed this autumn, which will connect the towns of Saint Hilaire and Montfort, both in the Rhône-Alpes region. The rope was replaced for the first time in 1972, and is now due to be replaced again after 41 years.
The history between our Bourg-en-Bresse site and the Saint Hilaire funicular railway dates back to the 1920s, when work on the steep track began. Bourg-en-Bresse is one of only three plants in the world able to produce these high technology steel ropes. While Western Europe and its ski resorts are our main markets for these products, our steel wires are also shipped to Eastern Europe, China, as well as the Americas.