Funiculaire Sierre–Montana–Crans

Funiculaire Sierre–Montana–Crans (abbreviated SMC) is a funicular railway in Valais, Switzerland. The line leads from Sierre at 540 m to Crans-Montana at 1471 m. The funicular has a single section of about 4300 m since 1997 making it the longest.[1] Earlier, it had two sections with the break at St-Maurice-de-Laques. The funicular with two cars has a single track with a passing loop. The funicular was closed from March to December 2022 for new tracks and cars, fewer intermediate stations to allow 20-minute intervals[2][3] and a journey time of 14 minutes.[4]

Funiculaire Sierre-Montana-Crans
passing loop (2007)
Overview
Other name(s)Funiculaire SMC; Sierre-Montana-Crans; Sierre-Montana-Vermala; Funiculaire de Sierre à Montana-Vermala
StatusIn operation
OwnerCompagnie de Chemin de Fer et d'Autobus Sierre-Montana-Crans, (SMC) SA
LocaleValais, Switzerland
Termini
  • "Sierre/Siders (funi)" at Rue du Pradec 2
  • "Montana Gare" at Avenue de la Gare 28
Connecting linesSimplon line
Stations4 (including "Venthône", "Bluche-Randogne"); 6 (before 2022)
Websitecie-smc
Service
TypeFunicular (before 1997: with 2 sections)
Route number2225
Operator(s)SMC
Rolling stock2
History
Opened28 September 1911 (1911-09-28)
Single section16 December 1997 (1997-12-16)
New tracks11 December 2022 (2022-12-11)
Technical
Number of tracks1 with passing loop
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrificationfrom opening
Highest elevation1,471 m (4,826 ft)

The lower station is located near the Sierre/Siders railway station on the Simplon line. Intermediate stations are at Venthône and Bluche-Randogne.

The funicular was opened in 1911.[5][6] The line is operated by "Compagnie de Chemin de Fer et d’Autobus Sierre-Montana-Crans (SMC) SA".[5]

Further reading
  • Zehnder-Spoerry, Roland; Laplace-Delapraz, M. (1915), "Le chemin de fer funiculaire Sierre-Montana-Vermala", Bulletin Technique de la Suisse Romande (in French), 41 (17/18/19): 191–195, 203–207, 215–221
  • Zehnder-Spörry, Roland (3 March 1916), "Elektrische Drahtseilbahn Siders-Montana-Vermala", Zeitschrift des Österreichischen Ingenieur- und Architektenvereins (in German), 68 (9): 169–174

References
  1. Wägeli, Hans G., Schienennetz Schweiz, Reseau ferré suisse (in German and French)
  2. Informations aux voyageurs: Travaux de reconstruction de la ligne et des infrastructures du funiculaire SMC Sierre-Montana-Crans du 7 mars au 11 décembre 2022 (PDF) (in French)
  3. Informations sur la reconstruction du funiculaire SMC (in French)
  4. SMC, Funiculaire Horaires dès le 11 décembre 2022: 2225 Sierre – Montana – Crans (PDF) (in French)
  5. SMC, Notre société (in French)
  6. Mathys, Ernst (1942), Hundert Jahre Schweizerbahnen, historisch und technisch dargestellt, 1841-1941; Les chemins de fer suisses au cours d'un siècle, aperçu historique et technique, 1841-1941 (in German and French), Bern, pp. 25, 68, 88, 255{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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