Bern, December 19: We are mostly familiar with Switzerland for two reasons the first one is Swiss accounts and the black money of the world stashed in it and second one is its beauty but now you will be knowing it more as world’s steepest railway has been started in the country.
Specially constructed cylindrical carriages have been used to ensure that passengers can stay upright on the incline. The floors tilt, adjusting to the slope as the funicular climbs at a gradient of 110% at its steepest point.
Beginning near Schwyz, a town in central Switzerland about 40 miles south of Zurich, the track runs 1,720 meters (5,600 feet) to Stoos, which sits 1,300 meters (4,300 feet) above sea level. That's like going straight up the 104-story World Trade Center two times.
The funicular is a pinnacle of modern engineering. It features two lines of cylindrical carriages that resemble beer barrels and rotate as the train ascends or descends the 743 meter (2,400 feet) incline, with gradients as steep as 110 percent. There are a total of four cabins—each with a 34-passenger capacity—and despite the rotational movement, cabins remain horizontal and passengers remain upright throughout the journey. In brief, it's not as scary as it seems.