Schwägalp – Säntis cable car
| Schwägalp – Säntis cable car | |
|---|---|
 Säntis mountain station and transmitter
|
|
| Country : | Switzerland , Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden |
| Canton : | Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden |
| Municipality : | Hundwil |
| Valley station : | Schwägalp : 1350.50 m |
| Mountain station : | Säntis : 2472.98 m |
| Height difference : | 1122.48 m |
|
Average gradient : |
55.87% |
|
Maximum gradient : |
90.4% |
| Driving time: | 10 mins |
| Construction year: | 1933 |
| New building: | 1968 |
| Modernization: | 2000 |
| Passenger / year: | 435,000 (2018) |
| Website: | Säntis-Schwebebahn AG |
The Schwägalp-Säntis aerial cableway (LSS), operated by Säntis-Schwebebahn AG and, as the railway company also calls the Säntisbahn , is a mountain railway in Eastern Switzerland . It leads from Schwägalp to 1,360 m above sea level. M. on the Säntis (2501.9 m above sea level).
location
The facility is located in the municipality of Hundwil . The valley station of the cable car is at 1350.50 m above sea level. M., the mountain station at 2,472.98 m above sea level. M., this corresponds to a height difference of 1122.48 m, which is overcome in 10 minutes.
Two access roads lead to the valley station on the Schwägalp: in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden from Herisau via Urnäsch and from the canton of St. Gallen from Neu St. Johann in Toggenburg via Ennetbühl. A postbus course leads from Urnäsch to Schwägalp.
history
The first aerial cableway from Schwägalp to Säntis was built by Leipzig-based Bleichert Transportanlagen GmbH from 1933 to 1935 after several projects to open up the Säntis with a cogwheel railway from the water meadows or underwater had failed. It has a length of 2307 m and overcomes a height difference of 1123 m. In 1960 the cable car cabins were replaced by larger cabins. Between 1968 and 1976 the cable car on the Säntis was completely rebuilt. In 2000 new cable car cabins were purchased. The LSS is one of the most popular mountain railways in Switzerland.
Picture gallery
Valley station and blue cabin
View: towards Schwägalp, in the picture the green cabin
View: towards the mountain, while the blue cabin arrives at the valley station
Avalanches in winter 2019
On January 10, 2019, during the heavy snowfall in the Alps , an avalanche coming from Säntis hit part of the hotel on Schwägalp, which was newly built in 2015. The site was previously considered to be safe from avalanches, but is located in a designated endangered area. A second avalanche on the Säntis damaged the bottom pillar of the Säntisbahn in the night of January 13-14, 2019. Operations had to be stopped for repairs for several months until May 29, 2019.
Web links
- Website of the Säntis suspension railway
- Technical description of the Schwägalp – Säntis cable car (PDF file, 20 pages, 533 KiB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Technical data , website of Säntis-Schwebebahn AG, accessed on September 9, 2012
- ↑ After the Schwägalp avalanche - the snow can now be cleared. SRF.at, last updated January 11, 2019.
- ↑ Schwägalp avalanche: clearing work will continue on Saturday. In: St. Galler Tagblatt , January 12, 2019.
- ↑ The avalanche miracle from Schwägalp. In: Blick online , January 12, 2019.
- ↑ Hotel buried by avalanche is in danger zone. Tagesanzeiger.ch, January 12, 2019.
- ↑ Gian Andrea Marti / (sda): Säntisbahn stands still for months due to a second avalanche In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung of January 18, 2019.
- ↑ FM1Today: “Säntisbahn resumes operation” In: “ FM1Today ” from May 22, 2019.
Coordinates: 47 ° 15 ′ 25 " N , 9 ° 19 ′ 10" E ; CH1903: 742,350 / 235710