Mendel funicular

The Mendel Funicular, (Mendelbahn, Funicolare della Mendola ) is a funicular railway in Italy. It connects the Überetsch plateau with the Mendel Pass.

Track
In the twelve minutes of the journey trains rise 854 m. The whole track is located in a rocky region sometimes covered by a forest, and this needs many bridges and tunnels.

History
The funicular was planned by Emil Strub as part of a link to connect Bolzano with the Mendel Pass, by linking to the St. Anton terminus of the Überetsch Railway. In 1903 Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria opened the line itself after nearly one year of construction. The line was at the time one of the lengthiest funiculars in Europe. Until 1934 tourists could use the funicular and some other railways to make a journey around the Mendel.

Today
Today the line is still working, and often used by tourists to reach the Mendel Pass. In 2004 there was an accident on the funicular, in which a driver lost his life.