Braunwaldbahn, Funicular in Glarus, Switzerland

The Braunwaldbahn is a funicular railway from Linthal Braunwaldbahn station at 674 m to the car-free resort of Braunwald at 1254 m. Its 1367 m single track, with a passing loop at Tannenboden, climbs 580 m at up to 68 percent. The two unaccompanied cars, built in 1997, each hold 114 people or 95 people and 1.5 tonnes of goods.

The line was initiated by Albert Bebié, who brought in engineer Josef Durrer to draw up the plans and direct construction by Hünerwadel & Toneatti, staying within a budget of 480,000 Swiss francs. It opened on 6 August 1907, two months late, and ran only in summer until year-round service began in 1928, the year the Verkehrsverein von Braunwald secured the share majority. A 1997 total renewal replaced two thirds of the substructure, the Tannenboden bridge, the cable, drive and control, and introduced new cars.

The railway is the gateway to Braunwald, a car-free mountain village in the Glarner Alps. It shapes how the village connects to the valley and remains essential to daily life for those living above.

Each of the two cars carries up to 114 passengers and the railway operates year-round, making it reliable transportation for residents and visitors alike. The steep climb means comfortable shoes are important, and visitors should be flexible about timing on days with poor weather.

The line's maximum gradient is 68 percent, not 64. Its two cars run unaccompanied, with cameras relaying the driver's view to a video control room at the top station; any obstacle on the track stops the system automatically. The valley-side trailer car can carry 1.5 tonnes of goods.