Funicular Rigiblick
The Funicular Rigiblick (German: Seilbahn Rigiblick) is a funicular railway in the north-east of the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It links a lower station served by Zürich tram routes 9 and 10 and Zürich trolleybus route 33, with an upper station at Rigiblick on the Zürichberg hill.[1][2][3]
Seilbahn Rigiblick | |
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Overview | |
Other name(s) | Seilbahn Rigiviertel |
Status | In operation |
Owner | Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich |
Locale | Zürich, Switzerland |
Termini |
|
Stations | 5 (including Goldauerstrasse, Hadlaubstrasse, Germaniastrasse) |
Website | stadt-zuerich.ch |
Service | |
Type | Funicular |
Operator(s) | Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich |
Rolling stock | 2 for 30 passengers each |
History | |
Opened | 4 April 1901 |
Extension | 29 May 1979 |
Technical | |
Track length | 385 metres (1,263 ft) (since 1979) |
Number of tracks | 1 with passing loop |
Track gauge | Metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
Electrification | from opening |
Maximum incline | 36% |
The Rigiblick funicular is one of two funiculars within the city of Zürich, the other being the Polybahn funicular in the city centre. Additionally, the city's Dolderbahn rack railway was originally a funicular, until its conversion to rack working in the 1970s.
History
The line first operated on 4 April 1901. In the early 1950s it was refurbished, replacing the original wooden cable cars with metal bodied cars in a red colour scheme. A further refurbishment in the late 1970s resulted in an 80 metres (262 ft) extension at the upper end of the line, and the introduction of the current cars, in blue and white.[4]
Operation
The line is operated by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ), the municipal transport operator for the city of Zürich, and carries around 600 000 passengers per year. It has the following parameters:[1][4]
Feature | Value |
---|---|
Number of cars | 2 |
Number of stops | 5 (2 terminal, 3 intermediate) |
Configuration | Single track with passing loop |
Mode of operation | Automated |
Track length | 385 metres (1,263 ft) |
Rise | 94 metres (308 ft) |
Average gradient | 25.3% |
Maximum gradient | 36% |
Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
Capacity | 30 passengers per car |
Maximum speed | 5 metres per second (16.4 ft/s) |
Travel time | 2 minutes (without stops) |
Frequency | Every 6 minutes or more often if traffic demands |
The standard Zürcher Verkehrsverbund zonal fare tariffs apply, with the whole of the line being within fare zone 110 (Zürich city).[5]
References
- "Seilbahn Rigiblick" (in German). VBZ. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- "Zürich - Seilbahn Rigiblick". Lift-World.info. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- "Seilbahn Rigiblick". Funiculars.net. Pantograph.se. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- "Geschichte der Seilbahn Rigiblick" [History of the Seilbahn Rigiblick] (in German). VBZ. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- "Frequently asked questions". Zürcher Verkehrsverbund. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.