Bournemouth Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway 2

The Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway, or Southbourne Cliff Railway, is a

funicular railway 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 (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...

in Southbourne, a seaside suburb of the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...

of Bournemouth. The line serves to link the seaside promenade and beach with the cliff top and the town behind.

Overview

The line is owned and operated by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and has the following technical parameters:

Technical parameters

* Length: ' * Gradient: ''1:1.49 (67.11%)'' * Cars: ''2'' * Capacity: ''12 passengers per car'' * Configuration: '' Double track'' * Gauge: ' * Traction: ''Electricity''

History

Opened in 1935 by Bournemouth Corporation, Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway is the most recent of the town's three lines. Traction was originally provided by a

electric motor An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...

, although this was replaced in the 1960s. The passenger cabs were replaced with newer versions in April 2012. Fisherman's Walk Cliff Railway is credited as the shortest funicular in the world by the 2015 Guinness Book of Records.

Nearby funiculars

There are two other cliff railways in Bournemouth, the West Cliff Railway and the East Cliff Railway (closed since 2016). All three operate between April and October.

Use as an arts venue

On Sunday 6 May 2018, Bournemouth-based sound and performance artists Language, Timothy! performed a site-specific theatre performance called 'Sound Journeys: The Longest Second' across both passenger cars of the Fisherman's Walk Cliff railway. The piece - two, one-minute vignettes created especially for the Southbourne railway - was a commission for Bournemouth Emerging Arts Fringe (BEAF) Festival 2018. Over 500 passengers saw one or both halves of the piece which ran for four hours during usual cliff lift operating hours.

References

External links

The official council page for the lifts, including prices

* ttp://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/bour.htm Article on Bournemouth's Cliff Railways from the ''Funicular Railways of the UK'' web site
Language, Timothy! "Sound Journeys: The Longest Second" event listing on BEAF website
Transport in Bournemouth Funicular railways in the United Kingdom Tourist attractions in Bournemouth 5 ft 8 in gauge railways in England Guinness World Records {{England-rail-transport-stub