Since 1907, the Zugerberg funicular railway has provided access to Zug’s local mountain for up to 300,000 passengers a year. Over the last ten months, Garaventa replaced the track of the funicular, which was officially reopened on December 2022.

 

In Zug, the popular funicular from Garaventa is once again bringing passengers comfortably and reliably up to the Zugerberg. In addition to the replacement of the 114-year-old track, an overhaul of the ropeway equipment and the cars was performed.

 

High availability guaranteed
As part of the rebuild, the track of the Zugerberg funicular has been raised by a minimum of 50 centimeters. Some 400 tons of steel were used for this purpose. Elevating the track ensures better availability of this local transit system in the case of heavy snowfall as time-intensive snow-clearing operations, especially when wet snow conditions are involved, can be dispensed with. Furthermore, the new track creates a connection between railway and nature. An elevated track enables wildlife to cross beneath it. This means that small animals can now safely pass under the line.

 

Eco-friendly construction
Reducing environmental impact was a focus of this project. The project team were assisted by a building biologist in order to preserve the valuable landscape and the natural environment. The project management decided on the installation of a temporary material ropeway to cut the number of truck transports. This system was used to carry the track sections, which were 18 meters long and weighed 3 tons, to the installation site. That way, the project team ensured that impacts on the landscape were reduced to a minimum.

 

Overhaul of the ropeway equipment
The rebuild period was also utilized to overhaul the two cars. The carriages and floors of the rail cars now shine in a new splendor. Maintenance work was also carried out on the drive.

 

 

80-FUL Zugerberg Funicular

Customer: Zugerbergbahn AG
Inclined length: 1,262 m
Vertical rise: 362 m
Capacity: 700 passengers per hour
Operating Speed: 4 m/s
Opened: 12/2022

 

Images: https://www.doppelmayr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Bilder-Pressemitteilung-80-FUL-Zugerberg.zip

 

Inquiries:

Andreas Bonifazi

T +41 79 476 51 15

media@garaventa.com