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Wuppertal (dpa) - No celebrations are planned for the commissioning of the Wuppertal suspension railway 120 years ago.
The protective measures against the corona virus did not allow an event anyway, said a spokesman for the Wuppertal public utility company at the request of the dpa.
In addition, the suspension railway has only been running for passengers on weekends since August.
Therefore, no passenger trips are planned on the anniversary day.
On March 1, 1901, the suspension railway started operating.
When technical problems increased last year, regular operation was suspended for about a year in the summer for safety reasons.
Extensive work is required on the wheels of many railways and the rail system, among other things.
The company announced that suspension railways have been on the road every day since mid-January, but only for test and training trips.
The aim remains for the suspension railway to resume regular operations in August 2021.
The Cologne manufacturer and engineer Eugen Langen is considered to be the inventor of the suspension railway, and he did not live to see it go into operation.
The 13-kilometer route, which largely follows the course of the river, is the backbone of local transport in the industrial and university city with around 355,000 inhabitants.
The suspension railway was considered to be very safe in comparison to railways in road traffic for many decades.
On April 12, 1999, a train crashed into the Wupper.
Five people died and 47 people were injured.
A forgotten safety claw on a rail during construction is said to have triggered the accident.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210225-99-583332 / 2
Repair work
Compulsory break and work list for the suspension railway
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Current test drives
Chronicle suspension railway