Niesenbahn

The Niesenbahn is a funicular railway above Lake Thun in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It links a lower terminus, in the village of Mülenen at 693 m (2,274 ft) and adjacent to Mülenen station on the Lötschberg railway line, with an upper terminus at 2,336 m (7,664 ft) near the summit of Niesen, a viewpoint above the lake and Bernese Oberland. The funicular is divided into two portions with a total length of 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi), an elevation difference of 1,643 metres (5,390 ft), and a maximum slope of 68%.

Niesenbahn
Overview
Status	in operation
Owner	Niesenbahn AG (since 2011); Niesen-Bahn-Gesellschaft (‥–2011, name change)
Locale	Canton of Bern Switzerland
Termini	"Mülenen (Niesenbahn)" "Niesen Kulm"
Stations	3 (including "Schwandegg")
Website	niesen.ch
Service
Type	funicular with 2 sections
Route number	2405[1]
Operator(s)	Niesenbahn AG
Rolling stock	4 (2 per section, for 60 passengers each)
History
Opened	15 July 1910 (115 years ago) (1910-07-15)
Technical
Line length	3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Number of tracks	1 (each section with a passing loop)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	from opening
Highest elevation	2,336 m (7,664 ft)
Maximum incline	68%

The funicular above Mülenen station

Construction of the line commenced in 1906, and it opened in 1910.^[2]

The service stairway for the Niesenbahn funicular is listed by Guinness Book of Records as the longest stairway, with 11,674 steps and a height of 1,669 m (5,476 ft).^[3] The stairs are usually employee-only, but there is a public run called "Niesenlauf" once a year.^[4]

The line is owned and operated by the Niesenbahn AG.^[5][6][7]

Operation

The line operates from late April to mid November, with cars operating every 30 minutes between 08:00 and 17:00. A 15-minute interval service is provided at busy periods, and evening services are operated on some days.^[8]

The line comprises two sections, with an interchange station at Schwandegg, and has the following parameters:^[5][6][7]

Feature	Lower section	Upper section
Number of cars	2	2
Number of stops	2	2
Configuration	Single track with passing loop	Single track with passing loop
Track length	2,112 m (6,929 ft)	1,388 m (4,554 ft)
Rise	975 m (3,199 ft)	667 m (2,188 ft)
Maximum gradient	66%	68%
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Speed	2.9 m/s (9.5 ft/s)	2.0 m/s (6.6 ft/s)
Journey time	13 mins	12.5 mins
Capacity	60 passengers per car; 120 persons in each direction per hour	60 passengers per car; 120 persons in each direction per hour

Share of the Niesen-Bahn-Gesellschaft, issued 1. October 1907 ^[9]

Further reading

• Doyon, Josy (1984), Ein Königreich am Fuss des Niesen (in German), Bern: Verlag Blaukreuz, ISBN 3-85580-169-X
• Petroni, Bruno (2010), Der Niesen und seine Bahn (in German), Interlaken: Verlag Schlaefli & Maurer, ISBN 978-3-85884-082-0
• Niesenbahn at Zeno.org. Article by: Viktor von Röll (ed.): Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens (Encyclopaedia of the Railway), 2nd edition, 1912–1923, Vol. 7, p. 360