Harderbahn
| Harderbahn | |
|---|---|
Bottom station in Interlaken
|
|
| Overview | |
| Native name | Harderbahn HB |
| Type | Mountain cable railway |
| Status | operating during summer season |
| Locale | Bernese Highlands |
| Termini | Interlaken Harderbahn Harder Kulm |
| Stations | 2 |
| Services | 1 |
| Website | HB |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1908 |
| Owner | Harderbahn AG |
| Operator(s) | HB |
| Character | Touristic mountain railway |
| Rolling stock | 2 passenger carriages |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 1.47 km (0.91 mi) |
| Number of tracks | single track with one passing point |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) |
| Electrification | Since opening |
| Highest elevation | 1,305 m (4,281 ft) |
| Maximum incline | 640‰ |
The Harderbahn (HB) is one of two funiculars that operate from the town of Interlaken. The Harderbahn leads to the western end of the Harder in the north of Interlaken across the river Aare, in Switzerland.
This funicular, the longer of the two, runs in 10 minutes from the base station Interlaken Harderbahn (550 metres or 1,804 feet above sea level) to a 755-metre-higher (2,477 ft) station near the viewpoint Harderkulm (1,321 metres or 4,334 feet). From the Harder Kulm top station (1,305 metres or 4,281 feet), a five-minute walk takes one to the Harder Restaurant, a distinctive pagoda structure with spectacular views from its terrace, over the towns of Interlaken and Unterseen, the Lakes of Thun and Brienz, the valley of the Lütschine and the summits of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
The line is owned by the Harderbahn AG, a subsidiary of the Jungfraubahn Holding AG, a holding company that also owns the Wengernalpbahn, Jungfraubahn, Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren, and Firstbahn. Through that holding company it is part of the Allianz - Jungfrau Top of Europe marketing alliance, which also includes the separately owned Berner Oberland-Bahn and Schynige Platte-Bahn.
In 1890 Dr. Fritz Michel gained a concession to build an "electrical cable railway" on the Harder, to the north of the city of Interlaken, however financial backing for such a project was difficult to obtain and it was not until November 1905 that construction started and was to last for three years. In order not to disfigure the landscape the track was laid in a quadrant rather than a straight line, the usual format for such railways
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Wikipedia