Funiculaire du Châtelard

Funiculaire du Châtelard is a former funicular railway at Emosson dam in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It leads from Le Châtelard 1129 m to Château d'Eau at 1821 m.[1] It is part of Parc d'Attractions Verticalp, closed in 2022.[3] The line has a length of 1302 m[1] at a maximum incline of 87%[4] and a difference of elevation of 693 m.[1] The single-track line has two cars and a passing loop.

Funiculaire du Châtelard
Funicular at passing loop (2007)
Overview
Other name(s)Drahtseilbahn Châtelard-Village—Giétroz—Château d'Eau; Drahtseilbahn Le Châtelard-Giétroz-Château d'eau/Emosson
Statusceased operation
OwnerParc d'attractions du Châtelard VS S.A. (since 2003); SBB-CFF [note 1] (1921-1975) Trains Touristiques d'Emosson SA (1997-2003, name change); Société anonyme des transports Emosson-Barberine (1975-1997, name change)
LocaleValais, Switzerland
Termini
  • "Le Châtelard VS Funiculaire"
  • "Les Montuires"
Stations3 (including "Giétroz")
Websiteverticalp-emosson.ch
Service
TypeFunicular
Rolling stock2 for 60 passengers each;[1] 2 for 7000 kg (in 1923)[2]
History
Opened1921
open to public1934
Closed2022
Technical
Track length1,302 m (4,272 ft)
Number of tracks1 with passing loop
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrificationfrom opening
Highest elevation1,821 m (5,974 ft)
Maximum incline87%

History

The funicular was built in 1921[1] for the Swiss Federal Railways by Von Roll at the construction of the Barberine dam[2] and opened to the public in 1935.[5] It was also used for the construction of the Emosson dam (completed 1972).

As of 2023, the line is owned by "Parc d'Attractions du Châtelard VS S.A.", previously named "Trains Touristiques d'Emosson SA" and "Société anonyme des transports Emosson-Barberine".[6] In the 1970s, when the SBB-CFF planned to close the funicular, it was acquired by the newly formed company.[7][6]

The company entered restructuring in July 2022.[6][3] In 2023, its website announced that another company may resume its operations.[8]

Notes
  1. directly or indirectly

References
  1. Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE, Federal Office of Transport BAV, Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications UVEK, ed. (January 2001), Touristische Transportanlagen der Schweiz, TTA–Statistik, 6. Auflage 1999; Installations de transport touristiques en Suisse, Statistique ITT, 6e édition 1999 (in German and French) (6 ed.), Bern, p. 34, 812.001 d/f 1.01 800, 61.056 Le Châtelard–Barberine{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  2. Oehler, Alfred (February 1923), "Die Transportanlagen zum Bau der Staumauer für das Barberine-Kraftwerk der S.B.B.", Schweizerische Bauzeitung (in German), 81 (6/7/8): 61–64, 77–80, 91–93, Die Standseilbahn Maschinenhaus-Wasserschloss
  3. VerticAlp Emosson, MySwitzerland
  4. Funiculaire du Châtelard (in French and English), Vallée du Trient Tourisme SA
  5. Wägeli, Hans G., Schienennetz Schweiz (in German and French)
  6. PARC D'ATTRACTIONS DU CHATELARD VS S.A. (in English, French, and German), Commercial register (Lower Valais), CHE-106.008.348
  7. "Curiosités ferroviaires à 2000 m d'altitude; Eisenbahn-Kuriositäten auf 2000 Meter Höhe", Die Schweiz (in German and French), 49 (5): 46–51, 1976
  8. VerticAlp Emosson Parc d'attractions du Châtelard (in French, German, and English)


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