Hungerburgbahn at Innsbruck		Whilst the plateau of the Hungerburg, to the north-west of the centre of Innsbruck, was a popular destination in the early years of the 20th century, climbing the mountain to arrive was difficult and steep. A scheme to build a narrow-gauge railway from Innsbruck Süd to Kettenbrücke(chain bridge) was authorised, together with a rope-worked incline up the Hungerburg. The urban line was never built, but the funicular was constructed by Josef Riehl and company, opening in September 1906. The line is 824 metres long, with a rise of 287 metres. At the lower end, the talstation is alongside the Inn, and the line spans the river on a girder bridge 158 metres long. The chain bridge beside the line, which gave road traffic access to the west side of the river, was replaced by a concrete bridge in 1937. The line passes through a cutting, in which there is a passing loop, before crossing a 160-metre long viaduct made of steel and concrete. Here the funicular steepens to 55%, before arriving at the Bergstation. The line is powered by a 90 h.p. AEC electric motor in the summit buildings, and originally this hauled two semi-open cars. The vehicles could transport up to 300 people per hour in each direction, at a maximum speed of 1.2 metres/second. Journey time was 11 minutes. Each car, which were built by the Bern company of Rollschen Eisengießerei, had double flanges on wheels on one side only, so that at the passing place, they were steered to one side or the other. This type of system, invented and named after Josef Riggenbach, was also in use on a number of other systems, mainly in Switzerland. The line also possessed a works car, a four wheeled flat wagon, which was attached by chain to one of the passenger cars. This also had double flanged wheel on one side only The line was also equipped with electric telegraph, and a stone stairway ran alongside the line from the Bergstation to the girder bridge across the Inn, from where metal stairs descended to the lower terminus. In 1907, the funicular was bought by the Lokalbahn Innsbruck – Hall in Tirol, for 660,000 crowns. The Lokalbahnn had commenced operations in June 1894, and ran close to the lower station of the funicular.
In 1928 a cable car route was built beyond the upper terminus, allowing passengers to travel much further up the mountain in comfort. Passenger numbers increased dramatically, as the sport of alpine skiing became more popular, for the cable car allowed easy access to and from the snow field above Innsbruck. The line was subsequently absorbed by the Innsbruck city transport organisation, now known as IVB. In 1954 the old station alongside the inn was demolished, being replaced by a new concrete and glass building. Three years later, the two cars – by now completely worn out – were replaced by two new "stepped" vehicles, each capable of taking 100 passengers. The underframes were manufactured by Waagner-Biro in Wien, whilst the upperworks were built – like many of the city trolleybuses – by Graf & Stift. The new vehicles had large panoramic windows, and glazing in the roof. At the same time, the old 90 hp a.c. motor was replaced by a new AEC power system of 260 hp, and operating on d.c. This was the first commercial location to use the motor for regenerative braking, where power is returned to the electric supply. The Hungerburgbahn closed on 1st November 2005, and the two existing vehicles were craned from the track on the 14th December 2005. One of them, number 2, was subsequently seen at the workshops of the Achenseebahn, Jenbach, where is is being restored prior to being exhibited at the Eisenbahn Museum in Wien.
Hungerburgbahn (2) The Hungerburgbahn (1) is being replaced by a new funicular, longer than the old. Consent for the building of the new line was granted by Innsbruck City Council on 10th December 2005, subject to a number of safety and noise abatement-related improvements to the original design. The new section of the line will be 1400 metres long, but the top section of the old Hungerburgbahn will be used, together with the original Bergstation area, since this allows transfer to the cable cars which take visitors to the ski area on the west side of the city. The new line starts in tunnel alongside the Congresshaus near the Triumpfbögen, as far as a station at Lowenhaus, beside the river, and near the Old Town. This section is almost level. Leaving the station, the new line will emerge onto a bridge across the River Inn, before entering another tunnel, on the west bank of the river. This tunnel takes the line as far as the Weiherburg, and is remarkable because there will be a downhill section, or counter-gradient, o n this part of the route. The line then climbs on a steel and concrete platform to a new station near the Alpenzoo (closer than the old station) This halt will be above ground level, with lifts and stairs down to the ground. The new line then curves uphill, on a new steel bridge, to join the old trackbed, before arriving at the Bergstation. The Bergstation is to be redeveloped to match the other new stations, all of which have been designed by Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. The total length of the whole funicular, including the reuse of the old section, is 1,798 metres. The talstation, by the Congresshaus, is somewhat remote from other forms of public transport, although an unused tramline passes close by. The funicular cars, to be made by Leitner, will feature passenger sections which are divided into a number of separate pivoted cabins. These will remain horizontal whatever the angle of the chassis. The whole funicular is due to be brought into service in Spring 2007, after the renovation of the two cable car lines which meet the Hungerburgbahn at the Bergstation. The whole project will cost up to Euro 70 million.				Old route in red new route in Mauve

Sources> www.funimag.com : www.ivb.at : http://www.funiculars.net/

Click on the ARG logo to return to our home page or close to go back to the previous screen.

updated 1st May 2006
Design and © Ron Ferguson