Fløibanen

The Fløibanen is a funicular railway, owned by Fløibanen AS, in the Norwegian city of Bergen. It connects the city centre with the mountain of Fløyen, with its mountain walks and magnificent views of the city. It is one of Bergen's major tourist attractions and one of Norway's most visited attractions. The line is long, covers a height difference of , and carries nearly two million passengers a year.

History

Proposals, design and construction

Fløyen is a high mountain near the centre of the Norwegian city of Bergen. The view of the city, its harbour, and the larger Bergen peninsula have long made it a popular attraction. There are also a number of walking trails on the mountain.

The idea to build a funicular was first put forward in 1895 by John Lund, a local resident and member of the Norwegian legislature. Permission was granted by the city council, but the project was shelved after the necessary capital failed to be raised. A further proposal was put forward in 1907 and the company Fløibanen AS was founded to construct and operate the line in 1912. The line was modelled after lines in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, the design being most similar to that of the Merkur funicular in Baden-Baden.

Work on the line started in the autumn of 1914, with a planned construction period of 12 to 18 months. An overhead rail line was used to take spoil from the tunnel at the lower end of the line to barges in the harbour. However, with the cars being built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen in Germany, and the rails being supplied from Switzerland, shortages caused by the outbreak of World War I delayed the work. The fire of 1916 also contributed to the delays, and the line was not opened until 15 January 1918.

The original cars accommodated 65 passengers, were finished in oiled teak, and were partly open to the elements. A electric motor hauled the cable at up to . Each car carried a driver, but an operator at Fløyen controlled the motor, with the drivers communicated to the operator by using a pole to strike a signal wire suspended over the line. The stations were designed by Einar Oscar Schou, who also designed the at the summit, opened in 1925.

Subsequent history

During World War II, the German occupying forces constructed many bunkers and other defensive features on the Fløyen mountain. The funicular was used to transport supplies and personnel, causing wear and tear to the cars and infrastructure. After the occupation ended, the two cars were painted in contrasting colours, with one car in red and the other in blue. These colours, together with the white painted lower station building, represented the Norwegian flag, and have been used ever since.

In 1950, the cable wheels and electric motor were replaced, allowing an increase in speed to . In 1954 the original cars were replaced with new cars supplied by Von Roll (underframes) and Hønefoss Karosserifabrikk (bodies). These cars accommodated 80 passengers, and the line was operated by drivers on each car, with no need for an operator at Fløyen.

In 1974, the cars on the line were again replaced, with the new cars supplied by Von Roll and also able to carry 80 passengers. In 1987, the electric motor was replaced with a new one, whilst at the same time the brakes and electrical systems were replaced. In 1997, the lower terminus was refurbished and extended. In 2002, a fourth generation of car was introduced to the line, built by Doppelmayr (underframes) and Gangloff (bodies), capable of carrying 100 passengers, and equipped with larger windows and glass roofs.

In 2022, the line was upgraded to provide better barrier-free access and higher capacity. The line was extended by at its upper end to allow step-free access between the car and the viewing platform. New cars were provided with a capacity of 120 passengers, and the maximum speed was increased from to . The new cars carry the traditional blue and red colours and names, and like their predecessors have large windows and glass roofs. The upgrade was undertaken by Garaventa, with the cars being built by CWA Constructions.

Operation

Technical

The Fløibanen has an overall length of with a height difference between the two terminal stations of . The line is single track with a central passing loop. The lower terminal and first of the line is in tunnel, and there is a short tunnel above the passing loop, but the rest of the line is in the open air. The track is of gauge and the gradient varies between 15 and 26 degrees.

There are two cars, each of which can carry 120 passengers. The cars have a stepped floor, large windows and a glass roof, in order to maximise visibility of the view whilst in transit. The cars are individually named and painted, with ''Blåmann'' in blue and ''Rødhette'' (Little Red Riding Hood) in red. Each car is operated by a driver, who occupies a cabin at the uphill end of the car irrespective of direction of travel.

The drivers remotely control the speed of the cable, which is powered by a electric motor and slowed by redundant braking systems, all located at the upper terminus. In normal service the cars operate at , but at times of high demand this can be increased to . The cable itself is long, has a diameter of , and has a breaking load of 66.5 tonnes. In the unlikely event of the cable breaking, the loss of cable tension would automatically cause track gripper brakes on each car to be deployed to bring them to a standstill.

Commercial

The line is owned and operated by Fløibanen AS. , the company had some 100 employees, of whom 36 were full time, and 473 shareholders. The largest shareholders were the City of Bergen (47.6%) and GC Rieber (13.67%). The company's office is located at Fløyen.

The line runs every day from early morning to late evening. In the early morning and late evening, departures are half-hourly, increasing to quarter-hourly during the day and more frequently at times of high demand. Some journeys run non-stop. Depending on speed and stops, the journey can take from 3 min to 8 minutes, and at its maximum capacity the line can carry 1,530 passengers per hour.

The line has a staffed ticket office at its lower terminus, and self-service ticket machines at all stops. Tickets can also be bought online, and either printed out or presented on a mobile device screen. Ticket barriers are in place at all stations, and tickets must be optically scanned to gain access to the platforms.

Accessibility

The stepped floor of each car matches up with the line's stepped platforms, with doors on each side at each level. Wheelchairs and strollers/buggies are carried on the level of the car accessed through the uppermost door, and can board and exit at the terminal stations only. The facilities at the summit are also accessible, and a selection of the mountain trails are usable.

Route

The following points are served:

Gallery

File:349 Bergen. Fløibanen - no-nb digifoto 20160128 00125 bldsa PK20053 (cropped).jpg, First generation cars at the passing loop in the early years of the line
File:Bergen-FloiBanen.jpg, Third generation ''Rødhette'' car in 1999
File:Fløibanen 2014.JPG, Fourth generation car near the summit in 2014
File:Fløibanen i Bergen.jpg, Fifth generation cars at the passing loop in 2023
File:Night Funicular - Bergen, Norway - panoramio.jpg, The funicular by night
File:Fløibanen funicular in Bergen.webm, Video of a descent

See also

* List of funicular railways
* Rail transport in Norway

References

External links

*
Fløibanen's official websiteFløibanen web cam

{{DEFAULTSORT:Floibanen
Funicular railways in Norway
Metre-gauge railways in Norway
Transport in Bergen
Companies based in Bergen
Railway lines opened in 1918
1918 establishments in Norway
Tourist attractions in Bergen