The Gurtenbahn is a funicular railway in the southern suburbs of the Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 capital city of Bern. The line links Wabern

Wabern bei Bern

Wabern, or Wabern bei Bern, is a village in the municipality of Köniz in the Swiss canton of Bern. Situated some from the centre of the city of Bern, it can be considered a suburb of that city....

, in the municipality of Köniz

Köniz

Köniz is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. With a population of 38,793 inhabitants , the municipality is one of the 15 most populous cities in Switzerland.- History :...

, with the summit of the Gurten mountain

Gurten (mountain)

The Gurten is a mountain situated just to the south of Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. It is high, and the summit yields views of Bern, of the Jura mountains and of the Alps....

, which overlooks the city. Wabern can be reached from central Bern by tram, train or car.

The line was built in 1899, and was completely rebuilt in 1999.

Operation

The line is operated by the Gurtenbahn company.It has the following parameters:

Number of cars	2
Number of stops	3 (at terminals and passing loop)
Configuration	Single track with passing loop
Track length	1058 metres (3,471.1 ft)
Rise	267 metres (876 ft)
Maximum gradient	34%
Track gauge	Meter gauge
Capacity	120 passengers per car
Maximum speed	8 m/s
Travel time	5 minutes

External links

• Official web site of the Gurtenbahn (in German)