Dolderbahn

Dolderbahn car

Römerhof, the lower terminus

Car in the lower terminus

The intermediate passing loop, showing unusual flexible point system

Car in the upper terminus

The Dolderbahn is a 1.3 km (0.8 mi) long rack railway in the Swiss city of Zurich, and is owned by the Dolderbahn-Betriebs AG. The line was opened in 1895 as a funicular railway, and converted to rack operation in 1973. Because of this history, it is still sometimes erroneously referred to as a funicular or cable car.

The line is in Zurich's Hottingen and Fluntern suburbs on the south slope of the Adlisberg mountain. The lower terminus of the line is at Römerhof, some 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from the city centre, where it connects with several lines of the Zurich tramway. The upper terminus at Bergstation Dolderbahn is adjacent to the Dolder Grand Hotel and the Dolder recreation area. Two intermediate stations, at Titlisstrasse and Waldhaus Dolder, are also served.^[1][2]

History

The Dolderbahn-Aktiengesellschaft company was formed to build the Dolderbahn in 1893, with construction commencing the following year. The line was built as a funicular railway and opened in 1895. The upper terminus of the funicular was at the Dolder Waldhaus Hotel, roughly on the site of the uppermost of the current line's two intermediate stations. In 1899, this upper terminus was linked to the Dolder Grand Hotel by a short electric tramway, which was replaced by a bus in 1930.^[3][4][5]

In 1971 the concession of the original company expired, and a new company, the Dolderbahn-Betriebs-AG, was created to convert the line to rack operation. At the same time the line was extended at its upper end to serve the Dolder Grand Hotel, thus replacing the bus that had in turn replaced the tram. The new line opened in 1973, and was extensively renovated in 2004.^[3]

Operation

The line is 1.3 km (0.8 mi) long and overcomes a height difference of 162 m (531.5 ft). It has a rail gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) and uses the Strub rack system. The line is single track with a single intermediate passing loop, situated between Titlisstrasse and Waldhaus Dolder stations.^[1][6]

The line is operated by a pair of four-wheel rack railcars, each of which can carry 100 passengers. They were built by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, with electrical equipment from Brown, Boveri & Cie, in 1972.^[4]

The line runs from 06.20 until 23.30 every day, with services running every 10, 15 or 20 minutes depending on the time of day. The journey time is approximately 5 minutes. The standard Zürcher Verkehrsverbund zonal fare tariffs apply, with the whole of the line being within fare zone 10 (Zurich city).^[1][7][8]

External links

• Media related to Dolderbahn at Wikimedia Commons
• Video of ascent of the line from YouTube

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Dolderbahn" (in German). Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich. http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/vbz/de/index/die_vbz/mitbetreute_bahnen/dolderbahn.html. Retrieved 2011-08-25. 
2. ^ "Location plan". The Dolder Grand. http://www.thedoldergrand.com/en/hotel/services/location.html. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Geschichte der Dolderbahn [History of the Dolderbahn]" (in German). Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich. http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/vbz/de/index/die_vbz/mitbetreute_bahnen/dolderbahn/geschichte_der_dolderbahn.html. Retrieved 2011-08-25. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Die Dolderbahn [The Dolderbahn]" (in German). Tram Museum Zurich. http://www.tram-museum-archiv.ch/Seiten_Zeitreise/in_Zuerich/dbseilbahn-D.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
5. ^ "Das Doldertram der Dolderbahn [The tram of the Dolderbahn]" (in German). Tram Museum Zurich. http://www.tram-museum-archiv.ch/Seiten_Zeitreise/in_Zuerich/dbtram-D.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
6. ^ "Dolderbahn". Funiculars.net. Pantograph.se. http://www.funiculars.net/line.php?id=547. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
7. ^ "Online Timetable - Route 25". Zürcher Verkehrsverbund. http://online.fahrplaninfo.zvv.ch/pdf/01/ah_01025a/ah_01025a_j11_a_00459.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-26. 
8. ^ "Frequently asked questions". Zürcher Verkehrsverbund. http://www.zvv.ch/en/special-services/faq/index.html. Retrieved 2011-08-26.