Luftseilbahn Wengen-Männlichen
seen from the upper Männlichen terminus of the cableway.]]
The Luftseilbahn Wengen-Männlichen is a cable car linking Wengen with the Männlichen in Switzerland.
History
- 1949 The Wengen committee was formed.
- 1953 Construction started.
- 1954 The Luftseilbahn Wengen-Männlichen was opened on 22 July. The estimated CHF 1.59 million building costs were overrun by about 4%. Each of the original cabins carried 40 people.
- 1962 Extension of valley station.
- 1963 Capacity increased with replacement of cabins with 50-person cabins. Modifications to the valley station were also completed at this time.
- 1973 The old drive motor was replaced by a new 425 H.P. motor, increasing passenger capacity by around 12% and reducing waiting time at the valley station.
- 1992 Another motor upgrade. The old aerial cableway was completely renovated, with the exception of the valley and summit stations, and from 26 August two spacious 80-person cabins have been in service between Wengen and Männlichen. Travelling time was cut from 6-7 minutes to 4-5 minutes. Renovation costs were around CHF 8.7 million.
- 1999 During the night of 22/23 February, the full force of an avalanche struck the valley station of the Männlichen Aerial Cableway in Wengen, burying the platform area under more than ten metres of snow, trees and rock. The cableway had to close for several months. The Canton Bern Department for Natural Hazards decided against granting the cableway permission to operate from the old location - a hard but sensible decision. On 14 April, the executive board decided to rebuild the valley station outside the avalanche zone, close to the main village street. The aim was to draw up plans, secure permits and complete construction at lightning speed. By the beginning of December, the first cabins were already travelling to the top.
Operations
The current cable car was built by Garaventa AG.
Horizontal length 1656.9m.
The height difference is 947.5 m with an average gradient of 70.8% and a maximum gradient of 96.9%.
The cars operate at a speed of 10.0 m/s which gives a travel time of 5 minutes.
The transport capacity is 860 persons per hour.
Connections
It is a 4 minute walk from the top station at Männlichen to the Gondelbahn Grindelwald-Männlichen.
It is a 3 minute walk from the base station in Wengen to the Wengernalpbahn station in Wengen.
See also