Funiculaire de Pau

Funiculaire de Pau
Overview
Status Open
Locale Pau, France
Stations 2
Operation
Opened 1907
Owner City of Pau
Technical
Line length 103 m (338 ft)
Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Maximum incline 30%
The railway from below
Cars at the passing loop
The upper station at night

The Funiculaire de Pau, or Pau Funicular, is a funicular railway in the city of Pau in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of southwestern France. It links the Boulevard des Pyrénées, on the level of the city centre and the Château de Pau, to Pau railway station in the valley of the Gave de Pau below.[1]

History

The railway arrived in Pau in 1863, but it was not until 1885 that construction of a funicular was first suggested. The decision to construct the line was taken in 1906, and the funicular was brought into service in 1908.[1][2]

The line was closed from 1951 to 1954, and in 1961, for renewal of its equipment. In 1970, it was taken out of service for security reasons and because of lack of patronage. In 1978 the municipality decided to keep the heritage infrastructure, renovate it and bring it back into service, with the line being made free of fare.[1][2]

Further inspections and renovations took place in 1995, 2006 and 2010. During the latest renovations, changes were made to make the line accessible to persons of reduced mobility. The current cabins date from 1961.[1][2]

Operation

The funicular is free to use, and operates from 06:15 to 21:00 on Mondays to Saturday, and in the afternoons on Sundays and public holidays. It is run by the city council, and carries some 500,000 passengers a year, with a monthly peak of 50,000 passengers and a daily average of 1,500 people.[1][2]

The line has the following technical parameters:[1][2][3]

Number of cars 2
Number of stops 2
Configuration Single track with passing loop
Track length 103 metres (338 ft)
Rise 26 metres (85 ft)
Maximum gradient 30%
Capacity 30 passengers per car
Frequency Every 3 minutes
Maximum speed 1.5 metres per second (4.9 ft/s)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Découverte du territoire > Les incontournables > Funiculaire" (in French). Agglomération Pau-Pyrénées. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Cèbe, Valerie (2010-05-04). "Le funiculaire de Pau à l'arrêt pendant quatre mois" (in French). La république des Pyrénées. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
  3. ↑ "Lift-Database : Pau". Lift-World.info. Retrieved February 19, 2007.

Media related to Funiculaire de Pau at Wikimedia Commons


Coordinates: 43°17′34.43″N 0°22′12.94″W / 43.2928972°N 0.3702611°W / 43.2928972; -0.3702611

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.