Pitztal Glacier To Replace “Gletscherexpress” Feeder Railway

After almost 38 years of operation, the "Gletscherexpress" will be taken out of service at the end of the current 2021/22 winter season and replaced by new trains. The new Gletscherexpress brings significantly increased travel comfort for the guests of the Pitztal Glacier. When developing the train, the focus was on energy efficiency. In summer, the new Gletscherexpress is operated 100 percent with energy from the PV system on the Pitztal Glacier.

For 38 years, the Gletscherexpress has been taking guests to the Pitztal Glacier from the valley station in Mittelberg (1,740 metres) up to the mountain station on the Pitztal Glacier at 2,840 meters and back again. At the end of the winter season on the Pitztal Glacier on May 8, 2022, the funicular will be taken out of service and replaced by new trains. The new Gletscherexpress will already start its journey in the coming mountain summer - probably on July 15, 2022.

The focus of the development of the new Gletscherexpress, which remains unchanged in size and capacity compared to the existing lift, was primarily the travel comfort of the guests. "The ascent with the new cable car will be quieter and much smoother in terms of the driving behavior of the cable car," explains Franz Wackernell from the Pitztaler Gletscherbahn. This is made possible by what is known as a decoupled chassis, in which the substructure and superstructure are separated from one another.

First-class driving comfort

"By decoupling, we can significantly reduce the noise level in the passenger compartments and ensure quieter driving behavior. In addition, the wheels of the funicular are state-of-the-art with rubber suspension,” explains Damian Zenklusen from Doppelmayr/Garaventa, the company commissioned with the implementation. "The new Gletscherexpress in Pitztal is the first funicular with first-class ride comfort based on Doppelmayr's D-Line concept."

100 percent of the energy required in summer operation from our own PV system

Particular attention was paid to the energy consumption of the new Gletscherexpress. In this way, the train constantly produces energy during the journey – based on the technical principle of a dynamo – which is used for the most important functions in the train. This means that smaller and lighter batteries can be installed, which in turn has a positive effect on consumption.

"We are particularly pleased that we can operate the Gletscherexpress in summer with 100 percent electricity from our own photovoltaic system in the area of ​​the mountain station," adds Franz Wackernell.

Comfort was also a priority when designing the cabins. "This was created in close cooperation with the Pitztaler Gletscherbahn and immediately stands out with its distinctive and clear lines," explains Michael Leithinger from Carvatech, the company commissioned with constructing the cabins. "Inside, a larger room volume, a new lighting concept and high-quality materials ensure a pleasant ambience." While the passenger compartments in the existing Gletscherexpress are still separated from one another, all areas inside can be seen in the new Gletscherexpress. In addition, a new Kapsch infotainment system provides all guests with current information and live images from the ascent and descent.