The Sommerbergbahn is a funicular railway

Funicular

A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...

 in Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It runs from Bad Wildbad

Bad Wildbad

Bad Wildbad is a town in Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located in the government district of Karlsruhe and in the district of Calw. Its coordinates are 48° 45' N, 8° 33' E. About 11,250 people live there...

 to the top of the Wildbader Sommerberg, which gives good views over the town, with one intermediate stop.

The Sommerbergbahn opened in 1908 and was modernised in 1928 and again in 1968. In 2004 extensive work was undertaken to bring it into line with modern safety requirements. The line was closed in late 2010 for major upgrade works, with one of the cars being lifted from the line in February 2011. The line is due to open again in late Summer 2011.

The Sommerbergbahn has the following technical parameters:

• Length: 756 metres (2,480.3 ft)
• Height: 324 metres (1,063 ft)
• Maximum Steepness: 53%
• Configuration: Single track with passing loop
• Cars: 2
• Capacity: 100 passengers per car
• Journey time: 3.5 minutes
• Track gauge: 1 metres (3.3 ft)
• Traction: Electricity

Since 2002, the lower station of the Sommerbegbahn has been served by a stop on the tramway

Tramway

Tramway may refer to:* Tramway , a lightly laid railway for uses such as logging or mining * A system of trams * Aerial tramway...

 extension of line S6 of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, which connects Bad Wildbad to Pforzheim

Pforzheim

Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...

 via the Enztalbahn.

External links

• Web site of the funicular operator (in German)