When railway companies announce that a replacement rail service has been set up due to construction work, for example, this is usually carried out using buses. Not so on the Braunwaldbahn, a funicular railway in Switzerland, because a helicopter is used here. There is no surcharge, as the normal train price of 7,20 Swiss francs applies.

Renovation work has been carried out on the Baunwaldbahn since November 6, 2023. This means that no trains can run between Linthal and Braunwald and vice versa. Helicopters are used as rail replacement transport. However, there are only four seats available per flight. The operator is aware of this problem and emphasizes that commuters and students who rely on reliable travel on public transport every day are given priority. If there are no seats available, tourists may have to wait for the next rail replacement flight.

Some locals told the local newspaper “Südostschweiz” that they were downright enthusiastic about it. Some talk about how they were able to fulfill their dream of flying in a helicopter for just seven francs and twenty centimes. Students in particular are really euphoric about their unusual rail replacement service, which will be part of their daily route to school until November 17, 2023.

Expensive matter for the operator

But how does it actually happen that a cable car operator relies on helicopters instead of buses? Well, the Braunwaldbahn is a funicular that connects the Linthal SBB station (Braunwaldbahn) with the town of Braunwald, which is located at 1254 meters above sea level. It is not a “tourist train”; but rather a public means of transport that has an obligation to operate. This funicular is used every day by locals as it massively shortens the travel time to the valley or up the mountain.

Furthermore, Braunwald is a so-called car-free town. Officially, the community can only be reached by funicular. Stopping traffic completely would mean that Braunwelt would be cut off from the outside world. The operator, Braunwald-Sandseilbahn AG, has to provide a replacement, not least because of the obligation to operate. That's what they did, because Heli-Linth carries out the rail replacement flights.

Incidentally, this is an extremely expensive matter for the operator and will tear a hole in the annual balance sheet. It is assumed that the two-minute rail replacement flights will cause a deficit of around 40.000 Swiss francs compared to normal operations. If everything goes according to plan, helicopter flights for 18 francs will be over on November 2023, 7,20, because then the renovated funicular should be in operation again.