Funiculaire Écluse – Plan, Funicular railway in Neuchâtel, Switzerland

The Funiculaire Écluse – Plan is a funicular of the Transports publics neuchâtelois linking the Écluse district to Plan in Neuchâtel. Its 391-metre single track with a passing loop runs through three tunnels and two intermediate stops, Boine and Côte, climbing 110 metres from 435 to 546 metres above sea level. Two cars counterbalance each other, the descending one pulling the ascending one.

The line opened on 27 October 1890 as a water-counterweight funicular, the first in the canton of Neuchâtel, with a Riggenbach rack used only for the emergency brake. In 1906 it passed to the Compagnie des tramways de Neuchâtel; in 1907 electric traction replaced the water ballast and the rack was removed. Operation became automatic in 1922, and the cars received a new livery in 2015.

The funicular represents a key element of Neuchâtel's public transport network, serving both local residents and visitors throughout the canton.

The line runs regularly between its three stations and allows passengers to board or exit at different points. You can ride the full length or hop on at any intermediate stop depending on where you need to go.

The line has always run with two cars, the descending one acting as a counterweight to pull the ascending one. Its original water-ballast drive included a Riggenbach rack for emergency braking, removed in 1907 when electric traction arrived. Each car seats 9 and holds 36 standing passengers.