The Budapest
Cog-wheel Railway is a rack railway running in Budapest, Hungary.
History
Since 1868 a horse tramway ran on schedule from the Lánchíd to Zugliget set in operation by the Budai Közúti Vaspálya Társaság (~ Public Railway Society of Buda). Nikolaus Riggenbach (the designer of the first European cog-wheel train line of Vitznau-Rig opened in 1871) with a colleague of his as the representatives of the Internationale Gesellschaft für Bergbahnen applied for the construction of the cog-wheel train line leading to Svábhegy. The building permit was issued on July 3, 1873, and construction of the line began immediately, thus enabling the service to start up in the following year. The first introductory vehicle ran from 4 p.m. on June 24, 1874, and regular traffic began on the following day. The whole line was built according to Riggenbach's cog-wheel system. The normal-gauge single track railway was 2883 m (1.56 miles) long all the way uphill with a the difference in height of 264 m. The terminal point was built at the present Városmajor.
Stations
Városmajor
Szent János kórház
Orgonás
Esze Tamás iskola
Erdei iskola
Gyöngyvirág út
Városkút
Svábhegy
Művész út
Széchényi-hegy, Gyermekvasút
Reconstruction
They plan to reconstruct the whole line and extend it to Moszkva tér and Normafa. They also will get new trains.
This all would cost around 8 milliárd HUF. Hopefully it will be done in 2010-2011.
The old train on the left and the new one on the right. It will be able to use the tram lines too.
With this link you get a bigger picture from the new train. Also interior pictures.
http://www.veke.hu/download/fogas/jarmu_A3.jpg
Extensions
The Urban and Suburban Transit Association (VEKE) is advocating that the line be extended in both directions
(Normafa and Moszkva tér).
This would be desirable because it would make it easier to reach both centers of the local traffic routes (including an underground line): the Moszkva tér and in the other direction the popular and beloved Normafa, where many local people and tourists spend their spare time.
The extension plan from Széchényi hegy to Normafa
Another picture from the extension.
Short video about the possible reconstruction and extention. Only in hungarian.
Sources: Wikipedia, VEKE, Városkép blog, Youtube etc.