Gurten Funicular

Gurten Funicular
The two cars at the passing loop and intermediary station (2010)
Overview
Other name(s)	Drahtseilbahn von Grosswabern auf die Höhe des Gurtens; Standseilbahn von Wabern nach Gurten-Kulm
Native name	Gurtenbahn
Status	in operation
Owner	Gurtenbahn Bern AG (since 1927); Elektrische Gurtenbahn (1899–1927, name change)
Locale	Köniz, canton of Bern, Switzerland
Coordinates	46.923831°N 7.443023°E / 46.923831; 7.443023
Termini	"Wabern (Gurtenbahn)" "Gurten Kulm"
Stations	3 (including "Grünenboden")
Service
Type	Funicular
Route number	2351 (earlier: 1351)
Operator(s)	Gurtenbahn Bern AG
Rolling stock	2 for 120 passengers each
History
Opened	12 August 1899 (1899-08-12)
Concession	1893
City-owned	1926 (majority, City of Bern)
Enhancements	1931, 1944, 1949, 1966, 1999
Technical
Line length	1,059 metres (3,474 ft)
Number of tracks	1 with passing loop
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	Since opening
Operating speed	8 metres per second (26.2 ft/s)
Highest elevation	839.5 m (2,754 ft)
Maximum incline	34%

The Gurten Funicular (German: Gurtenbahn) is a funicular railway in the southern suburbs of the Swiss federal city of Bern. The line links Wabern, in the municipality of Köniz, with the summit of the Gurten mountain (858 m), 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, 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 summit of the line, with upper station to left

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 francs.

Operation

Lower station (2006)

The line is operated by the Gurtenbahn company. It has the following parameters:

Feature	Value
Number of cars	2
Number of stops	3 (at terminals and passing loop)
Configuration	Single track with passing loop
Track length	1,058 metres (3,471 ft)
Rise	267 metres (876 ft)
gradient	34%
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Capacity	120 passengers per car
Maximum speed	8 metres per second (26.2 ft/s)
Travel time	5 minutes

See also

Bond of the Elektrische Gurtenbahn company, issued 1. August 1899

• List of funicular railways
• List of funiculars in Switzerland

Further reading

• Aerni, Agathon (1989), Der Gurten und seine Bahn (in German), vol. Band I: Die Erschliessung des Berner Hausberges, Bern: Verlag Stämpfli
• Gurtenbahn at Zeno.org. Article by: Viktor von Röll (ed.): Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens (Encyclopaedia of the Railway), 2nd edition, 1912–1923, Vol. 6, p. 38

External links

• Media related to Gurtenbahn at Wikimedia Commons
• Official web site of the Gurtenbahn (in German)
• Video of ride on funicular from the Gurten to Wabern