A funicular is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track. The result of such a configuration is that the two carriages move synchronously: as one ascends, the other descends at an equal speed. This feature distinguishes funiculars from inclined elevators, which have a single car that is hauled uphill.
The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway opened on 1 August 1896. It is a 778 feet (237 m) long funicular railway in Aberystwyth and is the second longest funicular railway in the British Isles, after the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Since November 1987, the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway has been a Grade II listed structure.
The Bridgnorth Cliff Railway, also known as the Bridgnorth Funicular Railway or Castle Hill Railway, is a funicular railway in the town of Bridgnorth in the English county of Shropshire. The line links the Low Town of Bridgnorth, adjacent to the River Severn, with the High Town, adjacent to the ruins of Bridgnorth Castle. The line is one of four funicular railways in the UK built to the same basic design. With a maximum gradient of 64% it is one of the steepest railways in the country.
Pokesdown railway station serves the Pokesdown, Boscombe and Southbourne areas of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is on the South West Main Line, 106 miles 24 chains (171.1 km) down the line from London Waterloo.
The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway is a water-powered funicular joining the twin towns of Lynton and Lynmouth on the rugged coast of North Devon in southwest England.
East Hill Cliff Railway, or East Hill Lift, is a funicular railway located in the English seaside town of Hastings. It provides access to Hastings Country Park via the East Hill, which overlooks the Old Town and Rock-a-Nore, an area to the east of Hastings. The line provides views over The Stade, home to the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Europe.
Southbourne is a suburb of Bournemouth, in the unitary authority area of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. It is situated between Boscombe and Christchurch. The area was previously known as Stourfield. Strictly, Southbourne refers to the area near to the coast; areas further inland are West Southbourne, Tuckton and Wick. It was historically part of Hampshire until 1974.
The British town of Scarborough has had a total of five cliff railways, or funiculars, two of which are presently operational. The town is home to the first funicular railway in the United Kingdom.
The West Hill Cliff Railway, or West Hill Lift, is a funicular railway located in the English seaside town of Hastings. It runs largely in tunnel, and provides access to Hastings Castle and St Clement's Caves from George Street, on the town's sea front. The West Hill overlooks the sea to the south, the Old Town to the east, and the current central business district of Hastings to the west.
The Kurwaldbahn is a funicular railway in the town of Bad Ems in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It links the city with a view point, complete with a Bismarckturm, and lies opposite the closed Malbergbahn funicular on the other bank of the River Lahn.
The Heidelberg Mountain Railway is a two-section funicular railway in the city of Heidelberg, Germany. The first section runs from a lower station at Kornmarkt in Heidelberg's Altstadt, via an intermediate station at Heidelberg Castle, to an upper station at Molkenkur. Here passengers may change to the second section, which runs up the Königstuhl, a nearby hill with good views over the city and the River Neckar.
The Sant Joan Funicular is a funicular railway at Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The line connects the monastery, and the upper terminus of the Montserrat Rack Railway, with sacred sites, walking trails and viewpoints higher up the mountain. With a maximum gradient of 65 %, it is the steepest funicular in Spain.
The Penang Hill Railway is a one-section funicular railway which climbs the Penang Hill from Air Itam, on the outskirts of the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. The railway first opened in 1923 as a two-section railway, but was overhauled in 2010 into a one-section system. It is a single-track railway with a passing loop, and it passes through a tunnel which is the steepest in the world. The total journey time can take between five and twenty minutes. The funicular train coach travels directly from the lower station to the top, but may stop at other intermediate stations upon request.
The Southend Cliff Railway, or Southend Cliff Lift, is an inclined lift in the English city of Southend-on-Sea, constructed in 1912. The lift operated for the first time on Bank Holiday Monday, in August of that year.
The West Cliff Railway, or West Cliff Lift, is a funicular railway located on West Cliff in the English seaside resort of Bournemouth. The line serves to link the seaside promenade and beach with the cliff top and the town behind.
The Central Funicular, is one of four funiculars in the public transportion system of Naples, Italy. The system is a true funicular: an inclined railway with two passenger cars, connected via cables, operating in concert.
The East Cliff Railway, or East Cliff Lift, is a funicular railway located on the East Cliff of the English seaside resort of Bournemouth. The line serves to link the seaside promenade and beach with the cliff top and the town behind. Following a landslip in April 2016 which damaged the line and associated structures, the railway is out of use indefinitely.
The Como–Brunate funicular is a funicular railway that connects the city of Como with the village of Brunate in Lombardy, Italy. The line has operated since 1894, and is used by both tourists and local residents.
The Central Tramway Company is an electric-powered funicular railway located in the holiday resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The company has the distinction of being the oldest surviving Tramway Company in the UK, as the original corporation still operates the funicular today. Built in just 6 months between January and August 1881, the Tramway opened on Monday 1 August becoming the 3rd such cliff railway to operate in the borough.
