Les Avants–Sonloup funicular

The Les Avants–Sonloup funicular (French: Chemin de fer Les Avants–Sonloup) is a metre gauge funicular railway in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It links the railway station of Les Avants, on the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line between Montreux and Montbovon, with an upper terminus at Sonloup.^[1][2][3]

Chemin de fer Les Avants–Sonloup
Overview
Status	in operation
Owner	Transports Montreux – Vevey Riviera (since 2001); Compagnie du chemin de fer Les Avants-Sonloup
Locale	Vaud, Switzerland
Termini	Les Avants Sonloup
Connecting lines	Montreux–Zweisimmen
Stations	2
Website	lesavantsfuni.ch
Service
Type	Funicular
Operator(s)	Transports Montreux – Vevey Riviera (short: MVR)
Rolling stock	2 for 40 passengers each
History
Opened	14 December 1912 (112 years ago) (1912-12-14)
Technical
Line length	515 m (1,690 ft)
Number of tracks	1 with passing loop
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	from opening
Operating speed	1.6 metres per second (5.2 ft/s)
Highest elevation	184 m (603.7 ft) above Les Avants
Maximum incline	54%

Description

The funicular, which was opened on 14 December 1912, runs at a right angle to the MOB line for a distance of 515 m (1,690 ft) and in doing so climbs at a 54% gradient to a height of 184 m (603.7 ft) above Les Avants.^[2][4] The line is still operated with the original Belle Epoque carriages.^[5]

The peak season for tourists, is in the spring, when the narcissus and forget-me-not plants flower in the meadowlands near the summit.^{[citation needed]}

Parameters

The funicular has the following parameters:^[1]

Feature	Value
Number of stops	2
Configuration	Single track with passing loop
Track length	515 metres (1,690 ft)
Rise	180 metres (590 ft)
Maximum gradient	54%
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Number of cars	2
Capacity	40 passengers per car
Maximum speed	1.6 metres per second (5.2 ft/s)
Travel time	6 minutes

The line is operated by Transports Montreux – Vevey Riviera, under the GoldenPass Services banner.^[6]

Gallery

• 
  Les Avants-Sonloup funicular cabin

See also

• List of funicular railways
• List of funiculars in Switzerland
• List of heritage railways and funiculars in Switzerland

Further reading

• Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Jean Paillard, Jean-Louis Rochaix (1982), "Les Avants–Sonloup", Crémaillères et funiculaires vaudois (in French), Lausanne: Bureau vaudois d'adresses (BVA), pp. 243–247, ISBN 2-88125-002-5{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)