Fribourg funicular

Fribourg funicular
Overview
Other name(s)	Neuveville - Saint-Pierre funicular
Native name	Funiculaire Neuveville - Saint-Pierre à Fribourg
Status	in operation
Owner	Transports publics Fribourgeois (since 2000); Société du Funiculaire Neuveville-St-Pierre à Fribourg SA (-1977); Transports en commun de Fribourg SA (1977-2000)
Locale	Fribourg, Switzerland
Termini	Neuveville St-Pierre
Stations	2
Website	tpf.ch
Service
Type	Commuter funicular
System	Wastewater-powered funicular railway
Route number	2030[1]
Operator(s)	Transports publics Fribourgeois
Rolling stock	2 Von Roll cabins
History
Commenced	1898
Opened	4 February 1899 (125 years ago) (1899-02-04)
Completed	1899
Technical
Line length	121 metres (397 ft)
Number of tracks	1 with passing loop
Character	Commuter and touristic funicular
Track gauge	1,200 mm (3 ft 11+1⁄4 in)
Electrification	- (water counterbalancing)
Operating speed	1.2 metres per second (3.9 ft/s)
Highest elevation	609 metres (1,998 ft)
Maximum incline	55%

The Fribourg funicular, also known as the Neuveville - Saint-Pierre funicular, is a funicular railway in the Swiss town of Fribourg.

It is powered by wastewater.^[2]

History

The Fribourg funicular was opened February 4, 1899.^[3] It connects the Saint-Pierre and Neuveville neighborhoods of Fribourg. It closed briefly for maintenance in 1996 and 2014.^[4]

Operation

The rolling stock is made up of two opposing Von Roll cabins, which act as counterweights. Wastewater from the Saint-Pierre neighborhood is poured into the upper cabin, driving it downwards and the other cabin upwards. The wastewater is then dumped back out into the lower Neuveville neighborhood's sewer system.^[2] Racks are present at the bottom station for braking.

See also

• List of funiculars in Switzerland

References

1. "2030: Fribourg-Neuveville/Motta - St-Pierre" (PDF), Fahrplanfelder.ch, Tableaux-horaires.ch (in German), 2022, 2030
2. Kirk, Mimi (16 June 2016). "A Lasting Stink: Fribourg's Sewage-Powered Funicular". The Atlantic. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
3. "Funiculaire 61.033 Neuveville - St-Pierre (Fribourg), Fribourg". Inventaire suisse des installations à câbles (in French, German, and Italian). 2011.
4. "Le funiculaire de la ville de Fribourg sera fermé 3 mois pour révision". RTS.ch (in French). 3 January 2014..

46°48′14″N 7°9′27″E