Lauterbrunnen-Mürren Mountain Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other name(s) | Mürrenbahn, Grütschalpbahn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Native name | Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren BLM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Mountain aerial cableway and mountain railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | operating daily with brief maintenance breaks in spring and late autumn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Bernese Highlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini |
Lauterbrunnen Mürren |
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Stations | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | BLM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1891 (railway), 2006 (aerial cableway) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Closed | 2006 (cable railway) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren AG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | BLM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Character | Small commuter, but mainly touristic mountain rail-/cableway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 1.4 km (0.87 mi) (aerial cableway) 4.27 km (2.65 mi) (railway) |
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Number of tracks |
Single track with one passing loop |
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Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | 550 V DC, Overhead line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Highest elevation | 1,638 m (5,374 ft) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maximum incline | 50‰ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Lauterbrunnen–Mürren Mountain Railway (German: Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren, BLM, also known as Mürrenbahn) is a hybrid transport system in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. The system consists of a connected aerial cableway, also known as the Grütschalpbahn, and an adhesion worked mountain railway.
The line provides a vital passenger and goods link to the resort village of Mürren, which is situated above the cliffs of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and has poor road access. It also commands a view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains across the depths of that valley.
The line is owned by the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren AG, a subsidiary of the Jungfraubahn Holding AG, a holding company that also owns the Wengernalpbahn, Jungfraubahn, Harderbahn, and Firstbahn. Through that holding company it is part of the Allianz - Jungfrau Top of Europe marketing alliance, which also includes the separately owned Berner Oberland-Bahn and Schynige Platte-Bahn.
The key milestones in the history of the line are:
The BLM commences from Lauterbrunnen, using a terminus that is directly opposite the platforms of the Berner Oberland-Bahn (BOB) to Interlaken, and the Wengernalpbahn (WAB) to Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald. The first section of the line is an aerial cableway that rises 690 m (2,263.8 ft) in a distance of 1.4 km (0.9 mi). The cableway follows the line of the funicular that preceded it, and the remains of the funicular are visible at many points.