Niesenbahn funicular

Funicular railway in the canton of Bern

NiesenbahnNiesenbahn

Overview
Status| in operation
Owner| Niesenbahn AG (since 2011); Niesen-Bahn-Gesellschaft (‥–2011, name change)
Locale| Canton of Bern
Switzerland
Termini|

* "Mülenen (Niesenbahn)"
* "Niesen Kulm"

Stations| 3 (including "Schwandegg")
Website| niesen.ch
Service
Type| funicular with 2 sections
Route number| 2405[1]
Operator(s)| Niesenbahn AG
Rolling stock| 4 (2 per section, for 60 passengers each)
History
Opened| 15 July 1910
(113 years ago) (1910-07-15)
Technical
Line length| 3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Number of tracks| 1 (each section with a passing loop)
Track gauge| 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification| from opening
Highest elevation| 2,336 m (7,664 ft)
Maximum incline| 68%
The funicular above Mülenen station

The Niesenbahn is a funicular railway above Lake Thun in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It links a lower terminus, in the village of Mülenen at 693 m and adjacent to Mülenen station on the Lötschberg railway line, with an upper terminus at 2336 m near the summit of Niesen, a viewpoint above the lake and Bernese Oberland.The funicular is divided into two portions with a total length of 3.5 kilometers, an elevation difference of 1643 meters, and a maximum slope of 68%.

Construction of the line commenced in 1906, and it opened in 1910.[2]

The service stairway for the Niesenbahn funicular is listed by Guinness Book of Records as the longest stairway, with 11,674 steps and a height of 1,669 m (5,476 ft).[3] The stairs are usually employee-only, but there is a public run called "Niesenlauf" once a year.

The line is owned and operated by the Niesenbahn AG.[4][5][6]

## Operation[edit]

The line operates from late April to mid November, with cars operating every 30 minutes between 08:00 and 17:00. A 15-minute interval service is provided at busy periods, and evening services are operated on some days.[7]

The line comprises two sections, with an interchange station at Schwandegg, and has the following parameters:[4][5][6]

Feature  | Lower section  | Upper section

|
|

Number of cars  | 2  | 2
Number of stops  | 2  | 2
Configuration  | Single track with passing loop | Single track with passing loop
Track length  | 2,112 m (6,929 ft)  | 1,388 m (4,554 ft)
Rise  | 975 m (3,199 ft)  | 667 m (2,188 ft)
Maximum gradient  | 66%  | 68%
Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Speed  | 2.9 m/s (9.5 ft/s)  | 2.0 m/s (6.6 ft/s)
Journey time  | 13 mins  | 12.5 mins
Capacity  | 60 passengers per car; 120 persons in each direction per hour  | 60 passengers per car; 120 persons in each direction per hour
Share of the Niesen-Bahn-Gesellschaft, issued 1. October 1907 [8]

## Further reading[edit]

* Doyon, Josy (1984), Ein Königreich am Fuss des Niesen (in German), Bern: Verlag Blaukreuz, ISBN 3-85580-169-X
* Petroni, Bruno (2010), Der Niesen und seine Bahn (in German), Interlaken: Verlag Schlaefli & Maurer, ISBN 978-3-85884-082-0
* Niesenbahn at Zeno.org. Article by: Viktor von Röll (ed.): Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens (Encyclopaedia of the Railway), 2nd edition, 1912–1923, Vol. 7, p. 360

## References[edit]

1. ^ "2405: Niesen Kulm - Mülenen" (PDF), Fahrplanfelder.ch, Tableaux-horaires.ch (in German), 2022, 2405
2. ^ "Infos Niesen Funicular". Niesenbahn AG. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
3. ^ "Science and Technology/Structures/Long Stairway". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 19 November 2005. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
4. ^ a b "NB Neisenbahn". Funimag. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
5. ^ a b "61.034 Mülenen - Schwandegg, Mülenen funicular". 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. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
6. ^ a b "61.035 Schwandegg - Niesen Kulm, Mülenen funicular". 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. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
7. ^ "Timetable Niesen Funicular". Niesenbahn AG. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
8. ^ Suppes, Bernd (1994). Suppes 94/95 Historische Wertpapiere (ISSN 0936-9406). Wiesbaden-Bieberich: WWA Bernd Suppes. p. 467.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Niesenbahn at Wikimedia Commons
* Official website of the Niesenbahn

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States

46°38′22″N 7°41′25″E﻿ / ﻿46.639356°N 7.69021°E﻿ / 46.639356; 7.69021