Amsteg - Bristen
Canton of Uri, Switzerland
Presentation
Since 24 March 2003 until end of May 2003, there is a
new temporary public funicular in Switzerland.
It is located at Amsteg in the canton of Uri, in the
central Switzerland.
From Amsteg (altitude 526m), a twisting road leads the cars and buses to the
small village of Bristen (770m) and the Maderanertal valley. At St. Anton,
rocks was threatening to collapse over the road. The Uri cantonal authorities
and the, Amsteg-Bristen-Silenen district decided to blow up the rocks.
The problem was that such an explosion requires to close
the road during more than two months. The Bristenstrasse road is the only
way to reach Bristen and it is impossible to isolate the village during
such a long period.
There was another solution !
300 meters from the road is the KWA Kraftwerk Amsteg
hydroelectric power station with the old pressure pipelines which was leading
the water to the turbines (The KWA power station belongs to the Federal
Railways (SBB), the electricity is used to supply the Zürich-Milano
Gotthard line). All along the pipelines was a cable inclined plane which
was built in 1918 with the power station.
The local authorities had the idea to use this funicular
to transport persons and goods from Amsteg to Bristen.
The problem was that the pipelines and the funicular
were out of service since 1998. In 1998 the KWA power station was modified
to be underground, under the mountain, with new underground pipelines.
To use the old funicular as a public transportation,
it was necessary to entirely restore the cable inclined plane, among others
modifications : a new car with, new security systems, engine restoration,
track revision.
The entire restoration of the old funicular cost 300.000
Swiss Francs which will be paid by the Uri canton and the Amsteg-Bristen-Silenen
district.
The road was cut on 24 March 2003 and the new funicular was opened.
The rocks were dynamited on 31 March 2003.
The funicular will be stopped when the Bristenstrasse
road will be reopened; this is planned for mid-June2003.
Personally, I had no option but to come to Amsteg as soon as possible! I was
there on 7 April 2003...
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The
Amsteg-Bristen funicular. The
KWA Power Station with the old pressure pipelines. The Amsteg-Bristen
funicular is just between the building and the pipelines.
Above the building, the Federal Railway (Gotthard line) passing under the
funicular and the pipelines.
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Amsteg, 7 April 2003.
The viaduct of the Federal railway line
Zürich-Milan thru the Gotthard tunnel.
Behind the viaduct, the mass of fallen rocks, result of the dynamiting.
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| Map of Switzerland |
Canton
of Uri blazon 
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Amsteg, with the funicular and the area of the dynamiting (Z).
Note that the Federal Railway line passes under the funicular track.
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The Bristenstrasse road just before the dynamiting.
Photo Gasser Felstechnik AG
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The Bristenstrasse road and the rocks which
are going to be dynamited.
Photo Gasser Felstechnik AG.
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The dynamiting
Photo Gasser
Felstechnik AG
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