The Gelida Funicular ( ca, Funicular de Gelida; es, Funicular de Gelida) is a

funicular 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 ...

railway in the municipality of

Gelida Gelida is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Penedès, Barcelona, Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The line connects

Gelida station Gelida is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Penedès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is built on a hillside above the Anoia river The Anoia (''Noya'' in Spanish) is a river in Catalonia, Spain, most of whose course is with ...

, on the RENFE (''Spanish National Railways''), with the centre of the village of Gelida, which is at a higher level. The line was opened in 1924 and modernised in 1984, whilst retaining a heritage ambience. The funicular has the following technical parameters: *Length: ' *Height: ' *Maximum Steepness: ''22.2 %'' *Cars: ''2'' *Capacity: ''50 passengers per car; 700 passengers per hour'' *Configuration: ''

Single track Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

with

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

'' *Maximum speed: ' *Travel time: ''8 minutes'' *Track gauge: ' *Traction: ''Electricity'' Although two cars were in operation, as an economy measure only one was normally staffed and carried passengers, whilst the other simply served as a counterweight. Despite this restriction, the funicular was timed to connect with the main line trains, which operate every half-hour on weekdays and hourly on weekends. Besides the two terminals at ''Gelida Inferior'' and ''Superior'', the line served an intermediate request stop at ''Gelida-Baixador'', situated between the passing loop and upper station. In September 2011, the service was suspended due to government's spending cuts, as it was considered too expensive to maintain. Since then the service has been replaced by a shuttle bus, with the funicular operating only at weekends. The service was suspended on 6 March 2016 following a review in which a number of cracks were detected in the rolling elements but is operational again (at weekends) from April 6, 2019. The line is operated by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (''Catalan Government Railways'', FGC), who also operate a significant suburban railway system in and around Barcelona, along with three other funiculars and two

rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...

References

External links

Photographic description and map of the line from Trens de Catalunya
(in

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

)
Funiculars page from FGC website
(in English) Funicular railways in Catalonia Metre gauge railways in Spain Transport in Alt Penedès {{Catalonia-rail-transport-stub