Gelmer Funicular
The Gelmer Funicular is a cable 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, 448 m above.[1][2]
| Gelmerbahn | |
|---|---|
 Car on the steepest part of the line | |
| Overview | |
| Status | in operation |
| Owner | Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG |
| Locale | Canton of Bern, Switzerland |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | 2 |
| Service | |
| Type | funicular |
| Operator(s) | Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG |
| Rolling stock | 1 for 24 passengers |
| History | |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Open to the public | 2001 |
| Federal concession | 2004 |
| Technical | |
| Track length | 1,028 metres (3,373 ft) |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge |
| Electrification | from opening |
| Operating speed | 2 metres per second (6.6 ft/s) |
| Highest elevation | 1,850 m (6,070 ft) |
| Maximum incline | 106% (avg. 49.4%) |
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With an incline of 106% (or 47°), Gelmerbahn was the steepest funicular in Switzerland and Europe, until the opening of the new Stoos Funicular in 2017. 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] It is technically not a funicular, which has two cars that counterbalance each other, but is propelled by a winch.
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]
Another funicular existed on the opposite side of the valley (1948-2015).
Operation
The line operates from the beginning of June through to mid-October, in daylight hours only. It has the following parameters:[1][2]
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| 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% (46°41') |
| 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 |
References
- "Gelmer Bahn". Funimag. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- "61.061 Handegg - Gelmersee, Innertkirchen, Standseilbahn". Schweizer Seilbahninventar = Inventaire suisse des installations à câbles = Inventario svizzero degli impianti a fune [Swiss Inventory of Cableways] (in German). Federal Office of Culture. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- "Gelmer Funicular". Grimselwelt. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
External links
- The Gelmerbahn on KWO's web site
- "61.061 Handegg - Gelmersee, Innertkirchen, Standseilbahn". Schweizer Seilbahninventar = Inventaire suisse des installations à câbles = Inventario svizzero degli impianti a fune [Swiss Inventory of Cableways] (in German). Federal Office of Culture. 2011.
- Images