Track ropes, also called carrying ropes or load-bearing ropes, support the weight of the carrier cabin or chair as it traverses the span between towers. These ropes are almost universally constructed as locked-coil or fully locked-coil wire ropes, featuring interlocking Z-shaped outer wires that create a smooth, closed surface. This construction provides exceptional stiffness, resistance to lateral deformation, and a hard-wearing surface that can withstand the repeated contact of carrier wheel assemblies over millions of cycles. Locked-coil track ropes are manufactured from high-strength galvanized or stainless-steel wires to resist corrosion from alpine weather exposure.

Haul ropes propel the carriers along the track and are continuously in motion during ropeway operation. In monocable systems, a single endless haul rope both supports and moves the carriers. In bicable tramways, separate track and haul ropes perform these functions independently. Haul ropes are predominantly stranded constructions, commonly six-strand or eight-strand with fiber or steel cores, engineered for high flexibility and fatigue resistance as they repeatedly bend over drive wheels, return wheels, and line sheaves at each tower. Rope selection is governed by EN 12927, ISO 12076, and the applicable national ropeway regulations of the country of installation.

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