New route to Jungfraujoch from December 2020

  • Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    13 September 2018 at 8:21:01 #818334

    Hi everyone,

    The V-cableway project adds a new quicker option to reach Jungfraujoch from December 2020. You can find more details and the project planning here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch/gettingther e

    Note that the trains to Jungfraujoch will operate normally until December 2020. Only then the new shortcut will be opened, saving about 30 minutes of travel time (one way) for passengers from Interlaken or beyond. Day trips from Lucerne will be more realistic by then.

    We’ll keep this thread open to discuss any developments and to post questions.

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    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    14 September 2018 at 2:54:03 #896102

    Hi Arno,

    Will the train Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg cease operation after December 2020?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    14 September 2018 at 23:51:16 #896103

    no, there are other reasons to take the train to Kleine scheidegg

    andrew
    Participant
    146 posts
    15 September 2018 at 3:15:03 #896104

    I’m surprised I haven’t read anything before on this forum about the new V-bahn. (Doesn’t mean there hasn’t been anything) The planning has been long and at times acrimonious. One result is that, thankfully for the skiers amongst us, the Jungfraubahn have promised to keep a regular train service on the line from Grindelwald via Grund to Kleine Scheidegg.

    It will be interesting to see how people manage with the comparatively quick change in altitude from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch.

    Andrew

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    15 September 2018 at 3:18:37 #896105

    This was discussed in a previous thread, I believe, but here is a new link that shows an oblique aerial view of the project: http://www.maennlichen.ch/en/ v-cableway.html The train lines from both Grindelwald and Wengen are shown as blue lines and the train line from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch is red.

    Here is a video that gives a good idea of what it will be like: youtu.be/ueEx8i9ozJQ

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    16 September 2018 at 14:09:19 #896106

    I may be in a minority here and perhaps controversial but I fear the Swiss are becoming too intent on getting as many people as possible in as short a time as possible from A to B in the mountains. For me the attraction and charm of mountain travel has always been the variety of modes of travel. I particularly like the slower, smaller gondolas where you can enjoy seeing where you are going or have been – I don’t enjoy so much being packed tight as sardines in a cable car where you can’t see a view, just your fellow travellers! I realise tourism is big business for them but they may be in danger of spoiling the experiences we so much enjoy if they keep replacing the charm with speed etc. Just a personal view of course.

    Maggie

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    16 September 2018 at 14:53:32 #896107

    Hi everyone,

    The project details are now definite, so I thought this was a good time to have an opportunity for discussion going forward. Personally I’m not a fan of the quicker cable car, although I’m sure it will be an interesting scenic route once it’s operational. I prefer the trains and would have liked the landscape to remain as it is. There are plenty of lifts in the area already. Also I would have preferred a car park for buses in Interlaken Ost rather than Grindelwald Grund, to reduce motorized traffic in the Jungfrau region.

    As far as I understand the goal is not to increase the capacity of Jungfraujoch, but to get people up there quicker.

    The trains from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg will remain running fortunately. Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald to a lesser extent will take a hit in the number of visitors I suppose. Eigergletscher and Grindelwald Grund will be busier.

    andrew
    Participant
    146 posts
    16 September 2018 at 15:33:03 #896108

    … and a view, Maggie, that appears to be widely held. Your view was much used in the bits of V-bahn debate that I saw. How they’ll manage at an already full summertime Jungfraujoch remains to be seen and now it’s not unusual to see the crowds in unsuitable clothing heading upwards in the winter.

    At the same time, for the most part, the wintertime Jungfrau region is still good place to ski with plenty of space on the slopes and, except for some holiday weekends, minimal queueing. In parts of Austria I know, the uplift is too efficient and the slopes are invariably crowded. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen in the Jungfrau ski area.

    As I was writing this Arno’s latest came in. The V-bahn may help to get people up the mountain quicker but I’m sure a consequence will be more people at the top.

    The old four-person Grund-Männlichen gondelbahn was life expired and and a replacement desperately needed so I suppose it was logical to increase the capacity. It serves a big area. The Interlaken Ost car park idea is not one I’ve seen before, but where to put it. The best option is surely to encourage visitors to use public transport all the way, not just the last few miles. I’m sure we all agree that Switzerland’s a good place to do that.

    Over the nearly forty years I have been visiting the Berner Oberland, both winter and summer, the total number of lifts has not changed by more than one or two. Some have disappeared and been replaced elsewhere, some chairlifts have been upgraded, some have been upgraded from T-bars to chair, or chair to gondelbahn e.g Firstbahn. Perhaps it’s time for a radical change.

    In a way, this debate is now out of date. Over the last several years all these views and others have already been expressed, arguments made both ways and some compromises found. V-bahn construction has now started.

    Andrew

    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    17 September 2018 at 4:35:47 #896109

    Hi Andrew,

    I think you’re right: more people will travel to Jungfraujoch. I should have written that the maximum capacity of 5000 people per day at the top stays the same. Whether that may change in the future I don’t know.

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    17 September 2018 at 4:39:31 #896110

    Well presumably if they can get them up the mountain quicker they can get them off the mountain quicker. Zero sum game? 😎

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    17 September 2018 at 5:20:43 #896111

    Hi Rockoyster,

    I wouldn’t count on that. They will want to stay up at the top just as long as they did before. In fact, knowing that they can get down to the bottom more quickly may even entice them to linger longer. I’m guessing that there will be a bottleneck at the Eigergletscher for people who want to go up.

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    17 September 2018 at 5:47:43 #896112

    Hello Peteli,

    You may well be right. If they had two turnstiles at Eigergletscher, one for people going up and one for people coming down then they could automate the bottleneck once the 5000 visitor limit was reached. 😉

    It’s not a queue I’m going to be joining anytime soon, if ever.

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    17 September 2018 at 6:17:00 #896113

    Hi Rockyster,

    Nor I. I did the Jungfraujoch trip many years ago with 21 of my students and really doubt that I’ll ever go up again. We did what I think is the best route: Interlaken (Jugendherberge) to Lauterbrunnen to Wengen and then up to the top, with a stop at the Eigerwand. There are too many places I haven’t been to even once and I’m no getting any younger.

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