The Schlossbergbahn, or Schloßbergbahn (), is a

funicular railway A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends ...

in the

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n city of

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

. It connects the city centre with the Schloßberg, a hill and the site of a demolished fortress, with extensive views over the city. The Schlossbergbahn should not be confused with the Schlossberg lift, a vertical lift which links the Schloßberg with the tunnel system beneath the hill, and via that with the city centre.

History

The current Schlossbergbahn was not the first line on the Schloßberg, with records of a line being in use between 1528 and 1595 to move construction materials for the fortifications. After the military left the Schloßberg in 1856, discussions started on ways to make it more accessible, and in 1893 construction started on the current line. In 1894 the line opened, using a

steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs Work (physics), mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a Cylinder (locomotive), cyl ...

to haul the cable and with a Riggenbach rack rail for braking. The haulage system was unusual in that whilst the steam engine was at the upper station, the

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centra ...

was at the lower station, with the two linked by steam pipes. The line was converted to electric haulage over the winter of 1899/1900, using current supplied by the Graz tramway system and to a design modeled on the San Salvatore funicular in

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Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. At around the same time, the line was transferred from private ownership to the ownership of the city of Graz. In 1960/1961, the line was modernised and both stations were completely rebuilt. The cars were replaced, with the original cars going to the Graz Tramway Museum and the Vienna Technical Museum. In 2000, the Schlossberg lift was constructed to provide an alternative route between city and summit in time for the city's spell as

Cultural Capital of Europe A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...

in 2003. In 2004, the Schlossbergbahn was again modernised, with both cars being replaced and both stations reconstructed, at a cost of

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...

2.5 million. The new cars were designed in cooperation with the Fachhochschule für Industrial Design, and have glass roofs, to allow passengers to see the view over the city.

Operation

The line is operated by Holding Graz, who also operate the city's tram network. It operates between 09:00 and midnight seven days a week, with extended operation until 02:00 the following day on Thursdays to Saturdays. The line's lower station is served by the ''Schloßbergbahn'' stop, on routes 3 and 5 of the city's tram network. It is some north of the city's Hauptplatz. The line has the following technical parameters:

Photo gallery

References

External links

Schlossbergbahn page from the Holding Graz web site
(in German)
Video of the line from YouTube
{{Funiculars in Austria Funicular railways in Austria Transport in Graz Tourist attractions in Graz Metre-gauge railways in Austria

History

Operation

See also

Photo gallery

References

External links