Arc-en-Ciel funicular, funicular railway in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Savoie, France
The Arc-en-Ciel funicular, also called Les Arcs' Express, runs 2,875 m from Bourg-Saint-Maurice station (810 m) to Arc 1600 (1,620 m), with two intermediate stops and a central Abt passing loop. Its single track crosses several viaducts, including one over the Isère, and reaches a 39% gradient near Les Granges. Two fully glazed Sigma cabins of 2019, each holding 270 people, run on the original bogies.
The funicular was inaugurated on 23 February 1989, replacing a 1974 cable car that could carry about 50 people and was dismantled in 1990. Built by Von Roll after the choice was made in autumn 1986, it was meant to improve access to Les Arcs before the 1992 Albertville Olympics and to keep Montrigon and Les Granges served. Construction took three years over difficult terrain.
The lower station sits beside Bourg-Saint-Maurice's railway station, reached from the platforms by a footbridge over the tracks. Each terminus has one track flanked by two platforms, separating boarding from alighting passengers; the two intermediate stops, Montrigon and Les Granges, have only a single side platform. The line has no tunnel but crosses several viaducts, including one over the Isère just after departure.
The cabins have been modernized with full glass paneling so passengers can look outside from every angle. In 2010 and 2018 the cable and control systems were upgraded to improve reliability and safety during operations.
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