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

thumb|right|The line between 1948 and 1951

thumb|right|Fløibanen in 2023

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. 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

thumb|right|View from the inside

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.

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 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.

Route

The following points are served:

{| class="wikitable"

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! width="100" | Name

! Description

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| Sentrum or Vetrlidsallmenningen

| The lower terminus, which is situated on , two minutes walk from Bryggen and the Vågen harbour in the city centre, at an elevation of above mean sea level. The station building was designed by the architect Einar Oscar Schou. The terminal platforms are in tunnel and connected to the street level station building by an underground corridor. From here, the line runs in roughly hewn tunnel as far as Promsgate.

| 100px|center

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| Promsgate

| An intermediate stop, which is situated on , one minutes walk from the old , at an elevation of above mean sea level. The stop is in the open, just above the exit from the tunnel from the lower terminus. Above this point, the line runs in the open air, with the exception of a short tunnel at the upper end of the passing loop.

| 150px

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| Fjellveien

| An intermediate stop, which is situated on , at an elevation of above mean sea level, which gives access to scenic walks to the north and south of town. The stop is located just below the passing loop. When one car is halted here, the other car is stopped at Skansemyren.

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| Passing loop. Cars do not stop.

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| Skansemyren

| An intermediate stop, which is situated in , at an elevation of above mean sea level, which is five minutes walk from sports arena. The stop is located just above the passing loop, partly in the open air and partly in the short tunnel that separates it from the loop. When one car is halted here, the other car is stopped at Fjellveien.

| 150px

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| Unnamed stopping point without platforms or passenger access. One car halts here when the other car stops at Promsgate.

| 150px

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| Fløyen or Fløyfjellet

| Upper terminus, at an elevation of above mean sea level. The stop gives access to viewing terraces, the restaurant and cafe, and to the walking trails on the mountain of Fløyen.

| 150px

|}

<gallery mode="packed">

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

</gallery>

See also

  • List of funicular railways
  • Rail transport in Norway

References

  • Fløibanen's official website
  • Fløibanen web cam