The funicular linking Sierre to the Valais resort of Crans-Montana can be rebuilt. An authorization to this effect has been issued by the Federal Office of Transport, the Sierre-Montana-Crans Railway and Bus Company (SMC) announced on Monday.
The works, which are spread over 4.2 km in length and 1,000 meters in elevation, should begin on March 7 and end on December 11. They include in particular the deconstruction and reconstruction of the entire line or the redevelopment of the stations of Sierre and Crans-Montana, details SMC in a press release.
Read also: Sierre-Montana-Crans funicular: the Grand Council grants a loan of 8.3 million
During the construction phase, a 30-minute bus will serve the Noble-Contrée sector, including Miège, and the east of Crans-Montana. The southern sector of Crans-Montana will be served on the same principle as that of the free urban network of Crans-Montana with a rate of 20 minutes on a Montana station-Ycoor-Moubra-Marigny axis.
The project is estimated at 23.9 million francs.
Work needed
More than a century old, the rail of this funicular, which entered into service in 1911, was worn and the operation of the line was no longer guaranteed in the long term without reconstruction of the track. The initial version of the project, which provided for the removal of four of the six intermediate stops, had provoked opposition from users gathered in the association “F’unis” as well as the filing of a petition at the State Chancellery. of Valais in 2018.
In September 2021, the State of Valais, via the head of the Valais mobility service Vincent Pellissier had indicated to Keystone-ATS that he hoped “to be able to save four intermediate stops out of six” – without however specifying which ones. In November, the Grand Council unanimously granted a loan of 8.3 million for this construction, underlining its importance for users, tourism and soft mobility.
During this debate in Parliament, Franz Ruppen, head of the mobility, territory and environment department, recalled that “the funicular reconstruction project is totally independent of the desired operating hours. We don’t have a solution yet, but the dialogue will continue with the SMC company and the F’unis association”.