The public cableway was opened in July 1885. It is located at the foot of the Bundeshaus (Federal Parliament Building). The height change of the facility is 32 meters over a distance of 105 meters. It is Europe’s shortest public funicular train. The maximum speed is 3 meters/second. The ride takes approximately one minute.
For many years it was driven by the weight of water. When the train reached the top, a tank was filled with water from the city’s rivulet. When the necessary weight was reached, the funicular could move and the lower car with the empty tank could be pulled up. In 1914 the train was upgraded for the National Exhibition. New cars were procured, which carried at first 18 persons and later, thanks to an additional water tank, 30 persons. In 1944 the valley station was renovated, and five years later the mountain station was covered with a roof.
In 1973/74 the train was completely renovated, and only from this time on the "Marzilibähnli" was converted to electricity. One of the old brown water ballast cars, built of wood, is exhibited close to the valley station. Another one is in the Verkehrshaus der Schweiz (Transportation Museum of Switzerland).
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