Flexenbahn

Flexenbahn
Flexenbahn cabin
Location:	Stuben am Arlberg ↔ Zürs Austria Austria
Design type:	detachable monocable gondola
Construction year:	2016
Mountain:	Ox bottom
Valley station:	Alpe Rauz , 1665 m47.138691 10.180027
Height difference:	562 m
Mountain station:	Ochsenboden , 2227 m (Zürs)47.153801 10.179525
Route length:	1771 m
Driving time:	6 min
Number of gondolas:	47 pcs.
Number of supports:	12 pcs.
Capacity:	2400 people / hour
Manufacturer:	Doppelmayr
Operator:	Flexenbahn GmbH
Website:	Flexenbahn

The Flex track is a cable car ( gondola ) in Stuben am Arlberg (municipality Klösterle ) in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg . The valley station is in the Alpe Rauz area .

The Flexenbahn has been connecting the valley station at 1665 m above sea level since 2016 . A. with the mountain station at 2227 m above sea level. A. The mountain station of the Flexenbahn in the municipality of Lech , in the Zürs district , on the so-called Ochsenboden at 2227 m above sea level. A. is also the middle station of the Trittkopfbahn . The Flexenbahn system is half owned by Ski Zürs AG and half by Stubner Tourismus-GmbH and is operated by Flexenbahn GmbH.

Surname

The name of the cable car is derived from the connection path between the upper Lech Valley ( Warth , Lech and Zürs ) with the Klostertal near Stuben , which had many hairpin bends (Flexen). The name Flexen is used in the region for a large number of geographical objects as part of the name, e.g. E.g .: Flexenkopf, Flexenpass , Flexenspitze, Flexenstraße , Flexenbach or Flexenmulde.

Technical specifications

The new construction of the Flexenbahn was part of a total investment of 45 million euros for further improvements and cable car systems (Albonabahn II and Trittkopfbahn I and II as well as conversion of the practice slope). This created the largest connected ski area in Austria on the Arlberg .

Valley station of the Flexenbahn (middle), the Albonabahn II (bottom left), the Vafagehrbahn (right) on the Alpe Rauz

In the base station of the Flexenbahn there is a complex with the base station of the Valfagehrbahn and the Albonabahn II . The access level of the Flexenbahn is at the same level as the entrance to the existing Valfagehrbahn. The access level is about 25 m above the level of the entrances to the Albonabahn II. The valley station building is a two-story steel structure with flat sloping roofs and all-round glazing. The vehicle depot is located in the basement.

Cable car

Flexenbahn route

Valley station: Alpe Rauz at 1665 m
Mountain station (middle station): Zürs at 2227 m
Owner: Ski Zürs AG and Stubner Tourismus-GmbH
Operating company: Flexenbahn GmbH
Manufacturer: Doppelmayr , Wolfurt
Cable car type: 10-person single cable gondola (MGD)
Orientation of the facility: largely from south (valley station) to north (mountain station)
Transport capacity: 2400 people / hour
Construction: spring 2016
Opening: December 2, 2016
Difference in altitude: 562 m
Route length: 1650 m
Horizontal length: 1630 m
Number of supports: 13 (maximum support height approx. 64 m - support 5)
Greatest ground clearance: 65 m
Maximum delivery rate: 2400 people / h
Average travel time: 5 min
Driving speed line: 6.0 m / s
Rope manufacturer: Fatzer
Tensioning station for the hoist rope: valley station (hydraulically adjustable)
Drive station: mountain station (middle station)
Drive type: electric
Operating resources: 47 CWA OMEGA IV-10 SI with seat heating
People per resource: 10
Parking: underfloor in the valley station
Direction of travel: clockwise
Season time: winter operation

Ochsenboden station

Station at Ochsenboden in Zürs

The above-ground two-storey building of the middle station in steel frame construction stands on a concrete base and is located on the plateau of the so-called Ochsenboden and forms the intersection of the Trittkopfbahnen I and II and the Flexenbahn. It is 2227 m above sea level. A. Due to the three cable cars converging here, the building has a strikingly curved Y-shape. The maximum building height is approx. 11.5 m. In some cases, photovoltaic modules were integrated into the facade. The top station of the Flexenbahn and the intermediate station of the Trittkopfbahn are located on the upper floor of the building. The basement of the building houses the Hall Of Fame ski museum , and the basement and basement also house the technology, storage and toilet rooms. The drives of all three cable cars are located in this middle station.

Avalanche blasting system

A remote-controlled avalanche blasting system with three avalanche monitors was set up in the Himmeleck area . The previously existing explosive cable car was dismantled.

criticism

The new construction of the Flexenbahn and Trittkopfbahn I and II facilities has not only found and is finding a positive return. The permanent and sometimes irreparable interventions in the environment were particularly criticized. This concerns u. a. also in particular the use of previously completely undeveloped and unused areas to and on the Ochsenboden and the connection to Alpe Rauz via the Flexenbahn. Doubts also arose with regard to the dimensioning of the middle station with a large roof terrace.

It is positive for the environment that the Flexenbahn means that around 120 fewer bus trips per day through the Flexengalerie between Zürs and Alpe Rauz are necessary and fewer cars drive directly to the villages. Thanks to the Flexenbahn, no new ski slopes were required, but this is a connection system.

Ski Area

The Flexenbahn is part of the Ski Arlberg ski area and is located on the border between the Austrian states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol . The Flexenbahn is the essential link with which the largest connected ski area in Austria could be realized.