Funicular Rigiblick

The Funicular Rigiblick (German: Seilbahn Rigiblick) is a funicular railway in the north-east of the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It links a lower station served by Zürich tram routes 9 and 10 and Zürich trolleybus route 33, with an upper station at Rigiblick on the Zürichberg hill.^[1][2][3]

Seilbahn Rigiblick
Overview
Other name(s)	Seilbahn Rigiviertel
Status	In operation
Owner	Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
Locale	Zürich, Switzerland
Termini	"Zürich, Seilbahn Rigiblick" at Geissbergweg 3 "Zürich, Rigiblick" at Freudenbergstrasse 147
Stations	5 (including Goldauerstrasse, Hadlaubstrasse, Germaniastrasse)
Website	stadt-zuerich.ch
Service
Type	Funicular
Operator(s)	Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
Rolling stock	2 for 30 passengers each
History
Opened	4 April 1901 (124 years ago) (1901-04-04)
Extension	29 May 1979 (1979-05-29)
Technical
Track length	385 metres (1,263 ft) (since 1979)
Number of tracks	1 with passing loop
Track gauge	Metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	from opening
Maximum incline	36%

The line in 1901

Car at lower station

Intermediate station and passing loop

The Rigiblick funicular is one of two funiculars within the city of Zürich, the other being the Polybahn funicular in the city centre. Additionally, the city's Dolderbahn rack railway was originally a funicular, until its conversion to rack working in the 1970s.

History

The line first operated on 4 April 1901. In the early 1950s it was refurbished, replacing the original wooden cable cars with metal bodied cars in a red colour scheme. A further refurbishment in the late 1970s resulted in an 80 metres (262 ft) extension at the upper end of the line, and the introduction of the current cars, in blue and white.^[4]

Operation

The line is operated by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ), the municipal transport operator for the city of Zürich, and carries around 600 000 passengers per year. It has the following parameters:^[1][4]

Feature	Value
Number of cars	2
Number of stops	5 (2 terminal, 3 intermediate)
Configuration	Single track with passing loop
Mode of operation	Automated
Track length	385 metres (1,263 ft)
Rise	94 metres (308 ft)
Average gradient	25.3%
Maximum gradient	36%
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Capacity	30 passengers per car
Maximum speed	5 metres per second (16.4 ft/s)
Travel time	2 minutes (without stops)
Frequency	Every 6 minutes or more often if traffic demands

The standard Zürcher Verkehrsverbund zonal fare tariffs apply, with the whole of the line being within fare zone 110 (Zürich city).^[5]

See also

• Public transport in Zurich
• List of funicular railways
• List of funiculars in Switzerland