Bregille Funicular
The Beauregard-Bregille Funicular, also known as the Bregille Funicular, is a funicular railway and former tramway line located in Besançon, in the Doubs department of France. Initially proposed in 1899 by Émile Picard, the line was designed to connect the lower and upper sections of Bregille Hill, facilitating access to nearby woodlands and green spaces. It was inaugurated in 1912, after the decline of thermal spa tourism. Despite recurring financial challenges, the line remained in operation until 1987, when a technical failure led to its closure. Listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments since January 27, 2011, the funicular is currently the subject of a rehabilitation project supported by a local association and the City of Besançon.
History
The concept for a funicular linking Bregille to Besançon's thermal facilities was proposed by Émile Picard in 1899 to facilitate tourist access to spa treatments and outdoor areas. In the early 20th century, Picard established the Electric Tramway Company of the Beauregard Plateau, and the funicular entered public service in 1912. Following initial success, ridership became inconsistent, and the company faced increasing debt, particularly after Picard died in 1931 and by the late 1930s. The municipality acquired the line and created the Funicular Authority, which recorded peak passenger numbers before experiencing a steady decline, from 222,000 passengers in 1945 to 38,000 in 1979. The decline continued into the 1980s, ultimately leading to the funicular's closure.In 1987, the Bregille Funicular ceased operations due to technical issues. Although the closure was initially intended to be temporary, high repair costs prevented its reopening, and the site remained inactive. In 2005, the association Friends of the Besançon Funicular was established to promote the preservation and restoration of the infrastructure, including the stations, tracks, and cars. The line was added to the Inventory of Historic Monuments by a decree dated January 27, 2011. In 2022, with support from the City of Besançon and the Regional Council, the association commissioned a technical assessment by a company specializing in cable transport to evaluate the feasibility and cost of rehabilitation. A complete restoration and reopening of the funicular remains the association's long-term objective.
Characteristics
General and technical characteristics
Before its closure, the Bregille Funicular operated daily with varying hours and transported an average of 239 passengers per day, totaling approximately 87,249 annually. Initially, from its opening until the 1930s, its primary users were spa visitors and Bregille residents. In later decades, the service was mainly used by local residents and visitors seeking access to nearby green spaces.The funicular covered a 73-meter elevation difference over a 423-meter track at a speed of 8 km/h. It featured an Abt passing loop and operated on a single narrow-gauge track measuring 1.05 meters. The line had a maximum gradient of 22% and used Vignole rails with railhead sides shaped in a "V" to prevent the brake jaws from lifting the car during emergency braking.
The Beauregard-Bregille Funicular's motor, manufactured by Alsthom in 1938, was paired with machinery built by the Swiss company Louis de Roll in Bern. Initially equipped with a 28-horsepower motor, it was later upgraded to a 32-horsepower motor located at the upper station, powered by a trackside line that was dismantled upon closure. Communication between the cars and machinery relied on a bell system to signal departures from the stations and engine room.
Since 1981, the Beauregard-Bregille Funicular cars have maintained their current design, with wooden bodies rebuilt on the original chassis, featuring curved Plexiglas windows in the drivers' cabins instead of flat ones. The car roofs, covered with copper-green sheeting over plywood, ensure watertightness. Each car, measuring 8.50 meters and weighing 6.20 tons, has two passenger compartments with sixteen seats, a baggage compartment for eight to ten people, and two driver platforms, with the floor arranged on four levels. The operator monitored movement using a cursor on a ruler, with the cable pulling the cars at 8 km/h. The funicular's operation required four staff members.
The Beauregard-Bregille Funicular included an ungated level crossing before the Abt passing loop, located midway along the line, a rare feature for funiculars in France. The crossing intersected a dead-end road serving a few residences, which has been barricaded and paved over since the funicular's closure. Flashing signals, activated by the passing cars, protected the road.
Geographical location
The Beauregard-Bregille Funicular connects the Mouillère district, near Besançon's city center, with the Beauregard-Bregille plateau, a residential area with views of the old town and its. It is located near the municipal casino, Besançon-les-Bains thermal center,, and Fort Beauregard.The funicular's lower station is at the intersection of Rue du Funiculaire and Rue des Fontenottes, following the Aiguille Path to the upper station at Chemin des Monts-de-Bregille. It is accessible via bus lines 24, 27, and C and the on the TER line Besançon–Le Locle–La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Historical context of the creation
At the end of the 19th century, the Mouillère district of Besançon and the Bregille plateau, then a small village with approximately 300 inhabitants, underwent significant changes following the construction of the in 1884 and the thermal complex of the Bains salins de La Mouillère in 1892–1893. The growth of thermal spa activity prompted local authorities to consider developing the surrounding area, particularly the Bregille plateau, to provide complementary facilities such as hotels, air-cure resorts, villas, and apartments. Private initiative was strongly encouraged. During its session of May 20, 1898, the Société de médecine de Besançon expressed the following wish: "To see an agreement established between the public authorities, local interest groups, and the board of directors of the baths, to awaken, advise, and encourage with all their strength private initiative, and to bring about the creation, in the immediate vicinity of the baths, and more specifically on the Bregille plateau, of holiday centers equipped with sufficient and practical means of communication with La Mouillère and the city, thereby allowing spa visitors to combine the benefits of the saline cure with those of a true air cure and a mid-altitude cure." The stated objective was to develop the Bregille area and establish effective transportation. On February 5, 1899, Émile Picard, a landowner in Bregille and a watchmaking industrialist, sent a letter to the city's mayor proposing such a project:Projects
First project
On May 26, 1899, Émile Picard wrote to the mayor of Besançon, requesting a concession to establish a funicular along the sentier de l'Aiguille. His proposal, supported by numerous signatures from Bregille property owners, gained significant credibility. A subsequent letter on June 27, 1899, confirmed the funicular project initially proposed on May 26:On November 25, 1901, Émile Picard was granted a 75-year concession for the Beauregard-Bregille Funicular, along with an annual subsidy of 1,900 francs. He established the Compagnie des Tramways Électriques au plateau de Beauregard to develop the project. Picard also requested a 6,000-franc subsidy from the Doubs department, citing public utility, but the General Council of the Doubs denied the funding on August 20, 1902: "The request, as presented, does not carry sufficient general interest to justify the financial support of the Department. The issue appears irregular, as it involves a request from an industrialist in support of a business he will operate; thus, it is not a public utility project. Moreover, the entrepreneur himself indicates he expects a return of 3.8% from the operation. Upon the request of Mr. de Moustier, the General Council postpones its decision and asks the Administration to provide a more thorough study." After failing to secure funding from the Doubs department, Émile Picard sought additional financial support from the Compagnie des Bains de la Mouillère, which had agreed to invest in the funicular project. The company, however, declined to provide further funds due to financial constraints.
Second project
Following earlier setbacks and in light of technological advancements, Émile Picard proposed a revised project in June 1905: an electric tramway 762 meters in length, terminating at the école des Hauts de Bregille. Unlike previous proposals, this version included detailed plans and technical studies, presenting a more concrete and developed initiative. The project once again attracted municipal interest, enabling Picard to renew his request to the General Council of Doubs. A was signed in August 1908, and a new agreement was established with the city of Besançon to renew the subsidy originally granted six years earlier.In 1909, a specification document highlighted significant technical challenges for the proposed tramway along the Sentier de l'Aiguille, which had a 22% gradient. The document noted that the tramway's 30-horsepower motors were insufficient, stating: "It would have required a considerable force, a force that the Gas and Electricity Company was powerless to provide to the concessionaire with a current of 440 volts at an intensity of 220 amperes. And even if it had been able to provide it, the operation would have become costly." To address this, a 390-meter rack railway was incorporated for the steepest section with a 21% gradient, while the remaining section used a conventional tramway track with adhesion, featuring an 8% slope.