Mendel Funicular
| Mendel funicular | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Type | passenger |
| Status | still working |
| Termini |
Sankt Anton, Kaltern Mendel Pass |
| Stations | 2 |
| Operation | |
| Opening | October 19, 1903 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 2.370 km |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) |
| Electrification | yes |
The Mendel Funicular, (German: Mendelbahn, Italian: Funicolare della Mendola) is a funicular railway in Italy. It connects the Überetsch plateau with the Mendel Pass.
Track
In the twelve minutes of the journey the visitor rises 854 metres (2,802 ft). The whole track is located in a rocky region sometimes covered by a forest, and this needs many bridges and tunnels.
History
The funicular was planned by Emil Strub as part of a link to connect Bolzano with the Mendel Pass, by linking to the St. Anton terminus of the Überetsch Railway. In 1903 Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria opened the line itself after nearly one year of construction. The line was at the time one of the lengthiest funiculars in Europe. Until 1934 tourists could use the funicular and some other railways to made a journey around the Mendel.
Today
Today the line is still working, and often used by tourists to reach the Mendel Pass. In 2004 there has been an accident on the funicular, in which a driver lost his life.
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Arriving at Mendel Pass
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On the line
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View from behind the driver
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At the Mendel Pass
See also
Literature
- Josef Dultinger: Vergessene Vergangenheit. Verlag Dr. Rudolf Erhard, Rum 1982
- Josef Dultinger: Auf schmaler Spur durch Südtirol. Verlag Dr. Rudolf Erhard, Rum 1982
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