Fløibanen

Fløibanen
Fløibanen car Rødhette climbs above the city, as seen from the summit
Overview
Type	Funicular
Status	Open
Termini	Vetrlidsalmenning Fløien
Stations	5
Operation
Opened	1918
Owner	Fløibanen AS
Operator(s)	Fløibanen AS
Rolling stock	2 funicular cars
Technical
Line length	844 m (2,769 ft)
Number of tracks	1 with central passing loop
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Operating speed	6 m/s (19.69 ft/s)
Highest elevation	320 m (1,050 ft)
Route map Fløyen No passenger access Skansemyren Fjellveien Promsgate Vetrlidsalmenning

The Fløibanen is a funicular railway 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 844 m (2,769 ft) long, covers a height difference of 302 m (991 ft), and carries over 1 million passengers a year. The line is owned by Fløibanen SA, a company with a number of shareholders, the biggest being the municipality of Bergen.

The idea to build a line to Fløyen was 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 other funicular railways in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, the design being most similar to that of the Merkur funicular in Baden-Baden.

Work to build the line started in the autumn of 1914, with the expectation that construction would take from 12 to 18 months. 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, and the Fløibanen was not officially opened until 15 January 1918. The original cars accommodated 65 passengers, and an operator at Fløyen controlled the 95 horsepower (71 kW) electric motor that hauled the cable at up to 2 metres per second (6.6 ft/s). The drivers on the cars communicated with the operator by using a pole to strike a signal wire suspended over the line.

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 first painted in contrasting colours from the Norwegian flag, with one car in red and the other in blue, a policy that has continued to this day. In 1950, the cable wheels and electric motor were replaced, allowing an increase in speed to 3.3 metres per second (11 ft/s). 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.