The tramway was heavily damaged and reduced to the rusting towers. One of the two surviving cabins was transferred to Aeri de Montserrat, which started to operate again in 1940. There were discussions to demolish the installation completely. Eventually, Friedrich Gründel, Bleichert's chief engineer during construction, succeeded in establishing Teleféricos de Barcelona, S.A.. In 1960, Torre Sebastià reopened with a new restaurant at its top, followed two years later by Torre Jaume I. In 1963 the tramway reopened with only two cabins, which travelled along the total length and through the top of Torre Jaume I. After Gründel's death ownership changed several times, commercial returns diminished and the technical status deteriorated. The authorities had decided to close it, when, in 1996, Barcelona decided to redevelop Port Vell and to build the World Trade Centre. The tramway was also renovated and it reopened in 2000. Technical details The line is long, with sections of and . The original cabins, which are still in use, take 20 passengers each plus the cabin attendant, and have an empty weight of . The tramway was built by Bleichert on the Bleichert-Zuegg system with track ropes of and a haul rope of . There was also an auxiliary rope of for a small open service vehicle, which could be used to evacuate the cabins. The cable speed is , driven by an electric motor in Miramar station, with tension weights in the Torre Sant Sebastià. Tower names Jaume I is the Catalan name of James I of Aragon (1208–1276), King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona. Sant Sebastià is the Catalan name of San Sebastián, the Spanish town where in 1907, Leonardo Torres Quevedo had opened his first public aerial tramway on Monte Ulia. References External links Official web site of the aerial tramway Aerial lifts in Catalonia Aerial tramways Transport in Barcelona Aerial tramways in Spain 1931 establishments in Spain