By 1975 the system needed upgrading: its ageing equipment and falling attendance convinced the municipality of Grenoble to demolish the lower station and rebuild it. In September 1976, after several months of interruption caused by the construction of the new lower station, new spherical cabins with windows manufactured by the local company Poma were installed. They were quickly dubbed the "bulles" (bubbles). Each sphere can accommodate up to 6 people. There were initially 3 of them, increased to 4 in winter and 5 in summer. The system became pulse driven and moves in a continuous rotary motion albeit slowed while at the stations.
The inauguration of the spheres on 18 September 1976 attracted much more attention from the media than imagined: around 4 pm a derailment occurred at the lower station just above the Isère, making the radio and television news, and a huge crowd gathered along the banks of the river to help with the rescue. Helicopters worked in relays to free the occupants and the rescue ended without damage. This event has been the only such incident in its history and safety standards have improved since. Inspections of equipment are made with different frequencies and each year in January the cable car is closed for twenty days to perform safety checks.
It is open 4,000 hours a year and in 2011 there were 325,000 users.
Vertical altitude change: 263 metres (863 ft); from 216 metres (708 ft) to 482 metres (1,581 ft)
Length: 685 metres (2,246 ft)
Maximum speed: 6 m/s (20 ft/s)
Travel time: 3 to 4 minutes
Towers: 1 tower of 23.5 metres (77 ft) height two thirds of the way from the bottom
Engine: 164 kW (220 hp); 1600 rpm
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