Hungerburgbahn

The Hungerburgbahn is a funicular railway that connects the city of Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol region in Austria, to the Hungerburg, a district on the mountain slope north of the Inn river. The railway was inaugurated on December 1, 2007, and has become a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. The Hungerburgbahn is not only a convenient and efficient transportation system, but also a stunning example of modern architecture and engineering, as the stations were designed by the late Zaha Hadid, one of the most influential architects of the 21st century.

The History of the Hungerburgbahn

The Hungerburgbahn is not the first railway to link the city center to the Hungerburg. In fact, it is the successor of the old Hungerburgbahn, which was built in 1906 and operated until 2005. The old railway had a different route and a different technology than the new one. It followed a steep and nearly straight slope, located approximately 1 km closer to the right bank of the Inn river. It used a water ballast system, where the ascending car was filled with water and the descending car was emptied, creating a difference in weight that pulled the cars up and down. The old railway had four stations: the valley station at the Inn bridge, the Alpenzoo station, the Weiherburg station, and the mountain station at the Hungerburg.

The old Hungerburgbahn was a historic and charming railway, but it also had some limitations and drawbacks. It was slow, noisy, and prone to breakdowns. It had a low capacity and a high energy consumption. It also interfered with the traffic and the urban development of the city. Therefore, in 2005, the old railway was closed and dismantled, and a new project was launched to replace it with a modern and innovative railway.

The Design of the Hungerburgbahn

The new Hungerburgbahn was designed by a consortium of companies, led by the Swiss firm Inauen-Schätti AG, which specialized in cable car systems. The railway uses a hybrid technology, combining the features of a funicular and a cable car. The railway has two sections, each with two cars that are connected by a cable and counterbalance each other. The cars run on rails and are driven by electric motors. The cars can also tilt up to 13 degrees to adapt to the changing gradient of the slope. The railway has a length of 1.8 km and a height difference of 288 m. It can transport up to 1,300 passengers per hour in each direction, with a speed of up to 10 m/s. The railway has a width of 1,440 mm, slightly wider than the standard gauge.

The new Hungerburgbahn has a different route than the old one. It starts from the valley station at the Congress, a convention center in the heart of the city. It then crosses the Inn river and runs along the left bank, passing under the historic old town and the Hofburg palace. It then enters a tunnel and emerges at the Löwenhaus station, where it crosses the river again and ascends the slope. It passes through another tunnel and reaches the Alpenzoo station, where it serves the Alpine zoo, the only zoo in the world that exhibits animals from the Alpine region. It then continues its ascent and reaches the Hungerburg station, where it connects to the Nordkette cable car, which takes passengers further up to the Seegrube and the Hafelekar, offering spectacular views of the city and the mountains.

The most striking feature of the new Hungerburgbahn is the design of the stations, which were created by Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-British architect who won the Pritzker Prize in 2004 and was known for her futuristic and organic style. Hadid was inspired by the landscape and the movement of the railway, and created four stations that resemble ice formations or glaciers, with curved and fluid shapes that contrast with the rigid and angular structures of the city. The stations are made of steel and glass, and have a white color that reflects the light and the snow. The stations are also integrated with the surrounding environment, as they have green roofs and natural ventilation. The stations are not only functional, but also artistic, as they create a visual and spatial dialogue between the city and the nature, the old and the new, the static and the dynamic.

The Experience of the Hungerburgbahn

The Hungerburgbahn is more than just a railway, it is an experience. It offers a unique and exciting way to explore the city and the mountains, and to enjoy the views and the attractions along the way. The railway is open all year round, from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm on weekdays, and from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm on weekends and holidays. The ticket prices vary depending on the season and the destination, but they are generally affordable and include discounts for children, seniors, students, and groups. The railway also offers special packages and events, such as the Christmas market, the New Year’s Eve party, the Easter egg hunt, and the summer festival.

The Hungerburgbahn is a must-see for anyone who visits Innsbruck, or who lives in the city and wants to escape the hustle and bustle of the urban life. It is a railway that combines the best of both worlds: the beauty and the tranquility of the nature, and the culture and the innovation of the city. It is a railway that showcases the vision and the talent of Zaha Hadid, one of the most influential architects of our time. It is a railway that is not only a transportation system, but also a modern marvel of architecture and engineering.

Innsbruck, Austria