Biel-Magglingen Railway

Biel-Magglingen Railway (2005)

FUNIC logo

The Biel-Magglingen-Bahn , inaugurated in 1887, is a funicular in Switzerland and connects Biel / Bienne with Magglingen . The height difference of the railway system is 442 m, the route is 1693 m long.

history

Share for CHF 500 in the Biel-Magglingen cable car company on October 5, 1886

construction

The runway was built in 1887 by Pümpin, Herzog & Cie, Bern and operated as a water ballast runway until 1923 . In 1923 the wagons were renewed by von Roll and the water ballast per wagon increased from 3.5 t to 4.5 t. In 1954, the system was also converted to electrical operation by von Roll, with the Riggenbach brake rack removed and the wagons renewed again. In 2001 the system was brought up to date by Doppelmayr .

Poster for the Biel-Magglingen cable car, around 1890

Electrification 1923

The conversion to electrical operation required extensive adjustments to the infrastructure in the area of building construction, mechanical equipment, telephone signals and rolling stock.

Renovation from 2001

In 2001 the infrastructure was completely renewed. In addition to the new cabins, the motor and controls were replaced and new safety technology was installed. With the new drive, the travel time could also be reduced to less than 10 minutes. The valley and mountain stations were designed to make boarding and alighting easy and convenient for the disabled.

Renovation from 2019

In 2019 the track bed was replaced with rails from the 19th century. Ropes and pulleys were replaced and the drive and control system was revised. The cabins from 2001 were also renovated. The total investment for the five-month construction activity was around 9 million Swiss francs.

business

In 2000, 610,000 passengers were carried. The year before, 3.5% more passengers were carried. Apparently the usage figures vary depending on the weather. Most people are transported when there is fog in the central plateau in winter and the sun is shining above.

Technical specifications

At the beginning, the line was constructed as a three-track system with a means of diversion . In addition, a Riggenbach rack was installed for braking . During the renovation in 1954, the system was converted into a two-rail system with a central turnout without a rack. Immediately after the valley station there is a 90 meter long bridge.

In 2000, the railway merged with the Biel-Leubringen railway to form FUNIC .

Historical representation
Valley station (2015)

Web links

Commons : Biel-Magglingen-Bahn - Collection of images, videos and audio files

FUNIC website
Biel - Magglingen funicular railway at www.standseilbahnen.ch
Funimag (English)
Funimag 20 - FUNIC Biel - Magglingen (English)
Webcam Magglingen North
Historical films on memreg.ch:
- Magglingenbahn - View of the lake from Magglingen, 1920
- Magglingenstadt from the middle station, 1962

Individual evidence

↑ Funimag: FUNIC Biel – Magglingen: Yesterday
^ Walter Hefti: Railways in all the world , Birkhäuser Verlag, 1975, ISBN 3-7643-0726-9
^ The 38th annual report of the board of directors of the Biel-Magglingen cable car company (1924) mentions the total cost of the renovation in the amount of CHF 230,146.
↑ Der Bund, June 8, 2001, page 36.
↑ Magglingenbahn is back in operation. Retrieved on October 4, 2019 (Swiss Standard German).
↑ Der Bund, June 8, 2001, page 36.

[1] Funimag: FUNIC Biel – Magglingen: Yesterday

[2] Walter Hefti: Railways in all the world , Birkhäuser Verlag, 1975, ISBN 3-7643-0726-9

[3] The 38th annual report of the board of directors of the Biel-Magglingen cable car company (1924) mentions the total cost of the renovation in the amount of CHF 230,146.

[4] Der Bund, June 8, 2001, page 36.

[5] Magglingenbahn is back in operation. Retrieved on October 4, 2019 (Swiss Standard German).

[6] Der Bund, June 8, 2001, page 36.