Ascensor do Lavra

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Lavra Funicular
Ascensor do Lavra
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Ascensor do Lavra
Operation
Locale Lisbon, Portugal
Open19 April 1884
StatusSuspended for inspection
Operator Carris
Engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard
Infrastructure
Type Funicular
Track gauge 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in)
Electrification Overhead, 600 V DC
Statistics
Route length 188 m (617 ft)
Stops2
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaNational Monument
Designated19 February 2002
Reference no.IPA.00003040

The Ascensor do Lavra, also known as the Elevador do Lavra or Lavra Funicular, is a funicular railway in Lisbon, Portugal. Opened in 1884, the railway is the oldest funicular in the city, having been in operation almost continuously for 141 years.

The 188m-long funicular connects Largo da Anunciada to Rua Câmara Pestana in the parishes of Santo António and Arroios. The average grade is 22.9 % and the railway gauge is 900 mm with a central slot for the cable's connection. [1] The two vehicles were constructed by German engineering company Maschinenfabrik Esslingen. [2] They have a similar design to the Ascensor da Glória with a steel base carriage with wheels, a wood interior with 2 long wood benches along steel walls with glass windows, all painted in exterior with yellow and white colors. [3] The tracks are interleaved on the lower section. The vehicles only move at the same time: as one ascends the other descends, each car acting as a counterweight to the other, the weight of the descending car helping to pull the other one up. [4]

The Ascensor do Lavra was designed by engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard [1] and opened on April 19, 1884. [5] Like the Ascensor Glória, Lavra was originally a water-balance funicular. [6] : 27–45  After a year of operation, it was converted to steam power, with a powerhouse at the top of Calçada do Lavra. [1] In 1915 the operation was electrified. [6] : 33–45 

Currently, the funicular is owned and operated by Carris. Ascensor do Lavra was designated a National Monument in 2002. [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "SIPA listing".
  2. ↑ Khalip, Andrei (2025-09-04). "Key facts about Lisbon's historic cable railway". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  3. ↑ Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (2025-09-04). "What is Lisbon's funicular cable and how does it work?". The Independent. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  4. ↑ "Ficha Técnica: Ascensor" [Technical File: Funicular] (in Portuguese). Carris de Ferro de Lisboa. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  5. ↑ "Timeline of the Lisbon (Portugal) Rail Transit Network". CityRailTransit. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  6. 1 2 João Manuel Hipólito Firmino da Costa (2008). Um caso de património local: A tomada de Lisboa pelos ascensores (PDF) (Thesis) (in Portuguese). Lisboa: Universidade Aberta. 197pp+annexes. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
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