StoosBahn, the world’s steepest funicular railway, has opened to the public in the car-free Alpine village of Stoos, Switzerland. The cylindrical carriages were specially constructed to ensure that passengers stay upright when traveling up the incline at a gradient of 110% (47.73° incline) at its steepest point. It took 14 years to build at a cost of $53-million USD, and the journey takes approximately 4 minutes. Continue reading for another video, more pictures and information.
“Each of the two cars holds 136 passengers and weighs a whopping 27 tons. It has 4 cylinders on each car for every 34 passengers in each cylinder. In both stations, the car is horizontal. While driving, the cylinders rotate and adjust to the slope,” according to Twisted Sifter.
