I have travelled extensively across Switzerland, by every means possible (foot, train, tram, bus, ferry, cogwheel railway, aerial cable car, and funicular). Until recently, though, one spectacular ride eluded me: the Stoosbahn, the world’s steepest funicular, connecting Schwyz with the car-free mountain village of Stoos, 1,300 metres above sea level. NB Although Stoos is officially car-free, there are motorised taxi services and working vehicles. The Stoosbahn achieves gradients up to 110% (about 47 degrees), taking passengers up 744 metres of elevation over a 1,740-metre track in about minutes. This new line, opened in December 2017, replaced a system that had operated since…

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