Gletscherexpress, Funicular railway in Sankt Leonhard im Pitztal, Austria.
The Gletscherexpress is a funicular railway that carries visitors steeply up into the Austrian mountains. The journey connects a lower station in the valley with an upper station at high altitude.
The railway opened in 1983 and created a new connection to the glacier regions of Pitztal. Since then, it has enabled visitors to access high-altitude ski areas and mountain routes.
The funicular is used by hikers, mountaineers, and skiers who spend time in this area. It serves as a meeting point for people exploring the Alpine landscape together.
The ride covers 3,786 metres of track and climbs 1,111 metres in 7.2 minutes, reaching a maximum gradient of 37.6 percent. The cars hold 200 people each and run at 43.2 km/h. The line runs through a tunnel, so the trip is not exposed to the weather.
The tunnel beneath the Mittagskogel–Grabkogel ridge was holed through on 11 March 1983, before the line opened that December. Since 2015 a photovoltaic plant has stood near the mountain station, its panels mounted on steel posts about 4 m high and tilted some 45° to the south.
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