Mürren-Birg Cable Car: Well-deserved Retirement At The Age Of 60
After 60 years of operation, the cable car between Mürren and Birg gas closed. It will be dismantled in the coming weeks to make way for the second track of the new Funifor cable car. The old cable car was considered a pioneer in cable car construction in many respects and now deserves its retirement.
On March 13, 1965, the aerial tramway opened between Mürren and Birg. Its 60th anniversary would normally be cause for celebration; but the tramway has served its purpose and can now enjoy a well-deserved retirement. On Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, it left the stations for the last time before being dismantled in the coming weeks to make way for the construction of the second track of the new Funifor tramway. Over the past winter months, the old tramway seemed small and unassuming next to the first Funifor track, which had already been in operation in mid-December. Even with its seven-and-a-half-minute travel time, it could no longer compete with the Funifor, which was two and a half minutes faster, in recent months. Moreover, the two pylons seemed insignificant compared to the massive new pylon.
Cable car engineering masterpiece
The old aerial tramway certainly had nothing to hide: for many decades, the aerial tramway was considered a masterpiece in terms of both cable car technology and structural engineering. The line stretches over 2,779 meters and was managed using just two pylons. The maximum cableway length, i.e. the distance between the masts, was an impressive 1,941 meters at the time of its construction – a record for years! As with the current construction work on the new cable cars, the demanding high-alpine terrain presented the designers with major challenges. Nevertheless, they managed to create a skillful dialogue between architectural design and cable car technology requirements. The formal language is uniform and the station buildings are massive. For this reason, the cableway was included as a technical monument and protected by the cable car inventory, which was established by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) in 2011. Nevertheless, it must now make way for the new cableway. "It is not least a question of age that we also have to replace this cableway," explains Christoph Egger, Director of Schilthornbahn AG. "However, the cable car inventory continues to impose constraints. We are forced to preserve the old concrete station building, which is no longer needed," Egger continues. So, it was quickly incorporated into the new station during the planning phase and will later be converted into a restaurant with a magnificent view of the Three Peaks.
Pioneer in every respect
The old cable car has also been rebuilt several times over the past 60 years: in 1982, the drive, control system, and braking system were renewed, and in 2003, the two cabins were replaced. In 2014, the control system was completely replaced. Despite its reliability, this cable car was not entirely immune to breakdowns: at the end of December 2004, a damage to a supporting cable led to a two-month interruption of service above Mürren. The sheath of a supporting cable broke – an incident that was considered impossible in the cable car industry. As was later revealed, the cause was an error during the first cable shift in 1979. As a result, the Federal Office of Transport subsequently ordered a special inspection of around 130 cable cars in Switzerland. In this case, too, the Mürren-Birg cable car was a pioneer of sorts.
Building on the pioneering achievement
After the Käthi material cable car from Stechelberg to Mürren and the Birg-Schilthorn aerial cable car, it is the last cable car to make way for the new construction. Just a few meters away, the second track of the new Funifor cable car is being built over the summer months. It will enter into operation at the end of November 2025 and, together with the first track, will transport up to 800 passengers per hour. The two wind-resistant cabins, each designed for 100 passengers, will be mechanically independent. During maintenance, one track will be closed, allowing operation 365 days a year. During normal operation, the two tracks will be electrically linked, and the cable car will operate as a "classic" reversible aerial tramway. The pioneering achievements of the old cable car will be directly followed: these are the first Funifor-type cable cars in Switzerland. The cable car is considered technologically unique on the international market and ranks among the top in terms of safety, technology, and economy. And what will happen to the two decommissioned cabins? One has sold the cable car manufacturer Garaventa, the other keeps the Schilthorn cable car and can now enjoy its well-deserved rest after transporting millions of people on the mountain.
During the winter months, the old aerial tramway and the first track of the new Funifor cable car ran side by side, but now the old cable car is being dismantled.
