Dolderbahn

The Dolderbahn (Db or DBZ) is a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long rack railway in the Swiss city of Zürich. The line is owned by the Dolderbahn-Betriebs AG, and operated on their behalf by the municipal transport operator Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich. 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.[1]

Dolderbahn
Overview
OwnerDolderbahn-Betriebs AG
Service
Operator(s)Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
History
Opened1895 (as funicular)
1973 (as rack railway)
Technical
Rack systemvon Roll
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification600 V, DC, overhead line
Maximum incline19.6%
Römerhof, the lower terminus
Car in the lower terminus
The intermediate passing loop, showing unusual flexible point system
Car in the upper terminus

The line is in Zürich'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 (0.93 mi) from the city centre, where it connects with lines 3 and 8 of the Zürich 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.[2][3]

History

The Dolderbahn-Aktiengesellschaft company was formed to build the Dolder line 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. The funicular had a length of 816 metres (2,677 ft) and overcame a height difference of 100 metres (328 ft) with a maximum gradient of 18%.[4][5][6]

In 1899, the upper terminus of the funicular was linked to the Dolder Grand Hotel by a short electric tramway, with a single tramcar. The line was built to the same 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge as Zürich's other electric tramways, but was never connected to any of them. In 1922 the tramcar was rebuilt to allow one-man operation, but in 1930 it was replaced by a bus.[7]

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.[4]

Operation

The line is 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long and overcomes a height difference of 162 m (531.5 ft). It is built to metre gauge (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in gauge) and uses the Strub rack system. The line is single track with a single intermediate passing loop, situated between Titlisstrasse and Waldhaus Dolder stations.[2][8]

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.[5]

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 110 (Zürich city, formerly zone 10).[2][9][10]

See also

References
  1. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2012. p. 65. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  2. "Dolderbahn" (in German). Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich. Archived from the original on 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
  3. "Directions". The Dolder Grand. Archived from the original on 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  4. "Geschichte der Dolderbahn" [History of the Dolderbahn] (in German). Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
  5. "Die Dolderbahn" [The Dolderbahn] (in German). Zürich Tram Museum. Archived from the original on 2009-06-10. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  6. Allen, Cecil J. (1958). Switzerland's Amazing Railways. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons. p. 175.
  7. "Das Doldertram der Dolderbahn" [The tram of the Dolderbahn] (in German). Zürich Tram Museum. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  8. "Dolderbahn". Funiculars.net. Pantograph.se. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  9. "Online Timetable - Route 25" (PDF). Zürcher Verkehrsverbund. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  10. "Frequently asked questions". Zürcher Verkehrsverbund. Archived from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
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