2021 was an eventful and exciting year for the people of Wuppertal and their suspension railway.
The second half of the year was particularly busy!
A new appearance
After extensive maintenance and repair work, the suspension railroad finally resumed regular operation in August. To mark this occasion, schwebebahn.de also presents itself in a new design and with new, digital offerings. Audio guides were added to provide visitors with interesting information about the suspension railway and its history. Whether you're riding the entire route for the first time or commuting regularly, the audio guides are available for every section of the line and you'll always learn something new.
What happened to the Tuffi stone?
In addition to widespread and ongoing damage to the entire city, the summer floods brought another scare: the Tuffi Stone had disappeared from its pedestal.
The idea of the Tuffi stone began in March 2019 and was made concrete in November of the same year, when the Jackstädt Foundation, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Tuffi jump, decided to donate the stone in the shape of Tuffi.
On July 21, 1950, the little elephant cow "Tuffi" rode the Wuppertal suspension railroad as part of a promotional campaign by the Althoff Circus. Out of panic, she broke through a side wall and "jumped" involuntarily - at about the level of the "Adlerbrücke" station - 10 meters into the depth. Fortunately, she landed on a muddy spot and escaped with minor injuries. This event is one of the defining moments in the history of the suspension railway. As a reminder, a stone has been lingering in the Wupper at the spot of the incident since September 2020.
This year, the unthinkable happened: the Tuffi stone had disappeared after the floods. With the combined efforts of the Wuppertaler Stadtwerke (WSW) and numerous other helpers, the stone was found again in September and, with additional safety measures, lifted back onto its pedestal.
50 years of Sendung mit der Maus
October brought the next highlight: a new model of the suspension railway!
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Sendung mit der Maus, which has been a frequent guest in Wuppertal and at the suspension railway, the WSW had come up with something special: for one year, a suspension railway wagon in the "mouse design" will travel through Wuppertal. For the inauguration, even the mouse and her friend, the little blue elephant, came to Wuppertal. This extraordinary event was captured with the special model "50 years of Sendung mit der Maus" , which is available in the online store.