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The Gurten Funicular () is a
The first concession for a line up the Gurten was granted in 1885 but never realized. A second concession was granted in 1893 and the line opened in 1899. In 1931 and 1932 the cars were overhauled and a new drive installed. In 1944 new cars were supplied and the lower station redesigned, with the upper station following in 1949. In 1966 the plant was renewed again.
In 1999, the line was completely rebuilt. All the stations were renovated, the drive was replaced, and new panorama carriages were put into operation.
In 2015, the line carried over one million passengers, the largest annual ridership up until that year. In the same year, the line made a profit of around 250,000
*
Official web site of the Gurtenbahn
(in German)
Video of ride on funicular from the Gurten to Wabern
{{Authority control Funicular railways in Switzerland Transport in the canton of Bern Köniz Railway lines opened in 1899 Metre-gauge railways in Switzerland 1899 establishments in Switzerland
funicular railway
A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends ...
in the southern suburbs of the Swiss
Swiss most commonly refers to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Swiss may also refer to: Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss Café, an old café located ...
federal city of Bern
Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
. The line links Wabern, in the municipality of Köniz
Köniz (, ) is a statistical town (though residents still regard it as a village) and a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district right on the southern border to Bern in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The municipality of Kà ...
, with the summit of the Gurten mountain (), which overlooks the city of Bern.
Wabern can be reached from the city centre by tram, train or car. Wabern bei Bern station, on lines S3 and S31 of the Bern S-Bahn
The Bern S-Bahn (; ) is an S-Bahn commuter rail network focused on Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. The network is roughly coterminous with Bern's urban agglomeration. Its services connect with those of Lucerne S-Bahn, RER Fribourg, RER ...
, is adjacent to the lower station of the Gurtenbahn, as is the Gurtenbahn stop on Bern tramway route 9.
The line is owned and operated by the company ''Gurtenbahn Bern AG''.
History
The first concession for a line up the Gurten was granted in 1885 but never realized. A second concession was granted in 1893 and the line opened in 1899. In 1931 and 1932 the cars were overhauled and a new drive installed. In 1944 new cars were supplied and the lower station redesigned, with the upper station following in 1949. In 1966 the plant was renewed again.
In 1999, the line was completely rebuilt. All the stations were renovated, the drive was replaced, and new panorama carriages were put into operation.
In 2015, the line carried over one million passengers, the largest annual ridership up until that year. In the same year, the line made a profit of around 250,000 Swiss franc
The Swiss franc, or simply the franc, is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) iss ...
s.
Operation
The line is operated by the Gurtenbahn company. It has the following parameters:See also
* List of funicular railways
This is a list of funicular railways, organised by place within country and continent. The funiculars range from short urban lines to significant multi-section mountain railways.
A funicular railway is distinguished from the similar incline elev ...
* List of funiculars in Switzerland
This is a list of all funiculars in Switzerland, commercially operated according to a timetable.
See also
*List of funicular railways
* List of heritage railways and funiculars in Switzerland
* List of aerial tramways in Switzerland
* List of ...
Further reading
* *References
External links
*Official web site of the Gurtenbahn
(in German)
Video of ride on funicular from the Gurten to Wabern
{{Authority control Funicular railways in Switzerland Transport in the canton of Bern Köniz Railway lines opened in 1899 Metre-gauge railways in Switzerland 1899 establishments in Switzerland