Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren

Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren
Two trains pass in Winteregg station
Technical
Line length	4.2 km (2.6 mi)
No. of tracks	Single track with one passing loop
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Electrification	525 V DC
Maximum incline	5 %
Rack system	None

Lauterbrunnen Grütschalp Winteregg Mürren

The former funicular above Lauterbrunnen

The approach to Murren

The Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren (BLM) is a mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. The enterprise consists of a connected aerial cableway, also known as the Grütschalpbahn, and a adhesion worked railway.

Operations

The lower terminus of the Grütschalpbahn is located in the valley at Lauterbrunnen, right of center at the bottom of the image. The upper cableway terminus at Grütschalp is visible at center right. The railway extends from Grütschalp to Mürren (just left of center).

The aerial cableway and railway connect at Grütschalp station. The cableway runs 1.4 km (0.9 mi) from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp, and was opened only in 2006, replacing a funicular with maximum gradient of 60%. From Grütschalp to Mürren the line is continued as a 4.2 km (2.6 mi) long narrow gauge electric railway with a maximum upward gradient of 5% and using adhesion traction (i.e. not rack and pinion). The railway is single-track, with a passing loop at Winteregg station.

Both the funicular and electric railway had a track gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in), enabling the use of the funicular to transfer rolling stock to and from the electric railway. A travelling crane in the Grütschalp station is used to transfer goods between the two sections - well used since road access to Mürren is very difficult. With the replacement of the funicular, the aerial cable car has also taken over the task of transporting goods. The single cable car carries up to 100 passengers in a journey time of 4 minutes, a significant improvement over the 11 minute funicular journey time. The special crane has been conserved to facilitate transfer of goods between the railway and a goods platform slung underneath the aerial cablecar.

The BLM station at Lauterbrunnen is directly opposite the station of the Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB) to Interlaken, and the Wengernalpbahn (WAB) to Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald.

History

• 1887 Concession obtained for the construction of the railways.
• 1889 The company is formed and construction starts.
• 1891 Railway opens. The planned opening on 1 June is delayed until 14 August due to a derailment.
• 1902 The funicular railway is converted from water gravity power to electric power .
• 1910 First winter operations started.
• 1912 Replacement of the locomotives on the Mürren to Grütschalp section by motor coaches (type BDe 2/4).
• 1949 New vehicles and rope are installed on the Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp section.
• 1965 The new station at Mürren is opened.
• 1994 The freight loading operations at Grütschalp are rebuilt.
• 2006 Last operation of the funicular railway from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp is on 23 April and the first operation of the replacement cablecar was on 16 December.

References

• Buckley, R.J. (1984). Tramways and Light Railways of Switzerland and Austria. Light Rail Transit Association. ISBN 0900433965. .

External links

Media related to Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren at Wikimedia Commons

• Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren in English. Part of a site about the Swiss narrow gauge railways.