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The Turmbergbahn is a funicular railway in Karlsruhe in Germany. It is the oldest operating funicular in Germany. From Karlsruhe's former center Durlach, the line climbs the Turmberg, which on a clear day provides a lookout point with views of the Rhine Valley, the Palatinate forest and the adjacent parts of Alsace.^[1]^[2]

The line first opened in 1888 by the Turmbergbahn Durlach AG, and its original form used the water ballast system of propulsion, similar to that still used by the Nerobergbahn in Wiesbaden. Operation of the funicular was interrupted twice during World War II, once near the beginning, and again from 1945 to 1946. The line was comprehensively rebuilt in 1966, and the water ballast drive was replaced by a conventional electric drive. In 2019, it was decided to extend the tracks of the funicular railway to the foot of the hill bringing it closer to the terminal station of the tram in Durlach.^[3] It is now run by the Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe, the operator of Karlsruhe's trams.^[4]

The funicular has the following technical parameters:^[1]^[5]

Length: 315 metres (1,033 ft)
Height: 100 metres (328 ft)
Maximum steepness: 36.2 %
Configuration: single track with passing loop
Journey time: 3 minutes
Cars: 2
Capacity: 52 passengers per car
Track gauge: 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Traction: Electricity

References

^ ^a ^b Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2009. p. 160. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
^ "Turmbergbahn - Älteste Standseilbahn Deutschlands" [Turmbergbahn - Oldest funicular railway in Germany] (in German). Karlsruher Verkehrsverbundes. Archived from the original on 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
^ "Der Fahrplan der Turmbergbahn wird ausgeweitet: Nach dem Umbau fährt sie auch im Winter öfters". ka-news.de. 23 December 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
^ "Turmbergbahn". funiculars.net. Retrieved February 25, 2007.
^ "Lift-Database : Karlsruhe-Durlach : Turmbergbahn". Lift-World.info. Retrieved February 25, 2007.