The Funiculaire de Pau, or Pau Funicular, 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 the city of Pau in the

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlant ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'' of southwestern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It links the Boulevard des Pyrénées, on the level of the city centre and the

Château de Pau The Château de Pau ( en, Pau Castle, eu, Paueko gaztelua) is a castle in the centre of the city of Pau, the capital of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Béarn. It dominates that quarter of the city. Henry IV of France and Navarre was born here on ...

, to Pau railway station in the valley of the

Gave de Pau The Gave de Pau () is a river of south-western France. It takes its name from the city of Pau, through which it flows. The river is long ( including the Gaves réunis), and its source is at the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees mountains. The ...

below.

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. 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 safety 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. 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.

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. The line has the following technical parameters:

References

External links

Pau Tourisme site (in French)Data and photographs on the Funiculaire de Pau from Lift-World

{{Authority control Pau, Funiculaire de Buildings and structures in Pau Railway lines opened in 1908 Metre gauge railways in France Transport in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Tourist attractions in Pyrénées-Atlantiques Heritage railways in France 1908 establishments in France

History

Operation

See also

References

External links