Gelmer Funicular
| Gelmerbahn funicular | |
|---|---|
 Car on the steepest part of the line | |
| Technical | |
| Track length | 1,028 metres (3,373 ft) |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
| Maximum incline | 106% |
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The Gelmerbahn funicular is a funicular railway in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It links a lower terminus at Handegg, in the Haslital (the valley of the upper Aar River), with an upper terminus at the Gelmersee lake.[1][2]
The Gelmerbahn is the steepest funicular in Switzerland and Europe. The Handegg terminus of the line is close to the road over the Grimsel Pass. It is accessible by car and by an infrequent PostBus service.[1][2][3]
History
The funicular was originally built to facilitate the construction of the Gelmersee, a reservoir, constructed in 1926 in order to exploit the hydroelectric resources of the area and was not opened for public use until 2001. The line is owned and operated by Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG (KWO) which owns the power station.[1][2]
Operation
The line operates from the beginning of June through to mid-October, in daylight hours only. It has the following parameters:[1][2]
| Number of cars | 1 |
| Number of stops | 3 |
| Configuration | Single track with no passing loop |
| Track length | 1,028 metres (3,373 ft) |
| Rise | 448 metres (1,470 ft) |
| Maximum gradient | 106% |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge |
| Speed | 2 metres per second (6.6 ft/s) |
| Journey time | 10 mins |
| Capacity | 24 passengers per car; 60 persons in each direction per hour |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Gelmer Bahn". Funimag. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ^ a b c d "61,061 Handegg - Gelmersee, Innertkirchen, funicular". Swiss Inventory of Ropeways (in German). Swiss Confederation. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
- ^ "Gelmer Funicular". Grimselwelt. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
External links
