Dorfbahn Serfaus
Encyclopedia
The Dorfbahn Serfaus is an unusual underground air cushion
funicular
transit system in the Tyrol
ian village of Serfaus
in Austria
. The name literally translates as Serfaus Village Railway.
, and during the season has to cater for large numbers of skiers. The slopes are accessed by a cable car and a gondola lift
, whose lower stations are situated at one end of the village's main street. A large car park is located at the other end of this street, and the Dorfbahn connects the two, allowing the conversion of the village into a car-free zone. Besides the two terminal stations at Seilbahn (cable car) and Parkplatz (car park), there are two intermediate stations in the village centre.
The line was built in 1985 by the Freissler-Otis company. It consists of a single, 1280 metres (4,199 ft) one-track
line, with a single train operating on a shuttle basis. The train comprises two cars, is suspended on an air cushion, and is moved by a funicular
haulage system. The tunnel is 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and 11 feet (3.35 m) high. The train can carry 270 people, and travels at a speed of 25 mph (11.2 m/s).
During the winter season the line operates between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, and between 9:00 am and 5:30 pm in the summer. A single journey takes 7 minutes, with the intermediate stations served only in the respective main load direction (in the morning toward Seilbahn, in the afternoon toward Parkplatz). The service is free of charge.
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
funicular
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...
transit system in the Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
ian village of Serfaus
Serfaus
Serfaus is a municipality in the district of Landeck in Tyrol, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 1,091 .-Geography:Serfaus is a small town located on a plateau in the upper Inn valley in Tyrol, Austria. It is well known for its connection to the Ski-Area "Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis" and its...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The name literally translates as Serfaus Village Railway.
Overview
Serfaus is a busy ski resortSki resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
, and during the season has to cater for large numbers of skiers. The slopes are accessed by a cable car and a gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
, whose lower stations are situated at one end of the village's main street. A large car park is located at the other end of this street, and the Dorfbahn connects the two, allowing the conversion of the village into a car-free zone. Besides the two terminal stations at Seilbahn (cable car) and Parkplatz (car park), there are two intermediate stations in the village centre.
The line was built in 1985 by the Freissler-Otis company. It consists of a single, 1280 metres (4,199 ft) one-track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
line, with a single train operating on a shuttle basis. The train comprises two cars, is suspended on an air cushion, and is moved by a funicular
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...
haulage system. The tunnel is 10 feet (3.05 m) wide and 11 feet (3.35 m) high. The train can carry 270 people, and travels at a speed of 25 mph (11.2 m/s).
During the winter season the line operates between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, and between 9:00 am and 5:30 pm in the summer. A single journey takes 7 minutes, with the intermediate stations served only in the respective main load direction (in the morning toward Seilbahn, in the afternoon toward Parkplatz). The service is free of charge.
Stations
- Parkplatz (Parking area)
- Kirche (Church)
- Raika (Bank)
- Seilbahn (Cable Car)