The Artxanda Funicular is a funicular railway

Funicular

A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...

 in the city of Bilbao

Bilbao

Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...

 in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

's Basque Country

Basque Country (autonomous community)

The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....

. It links downtown Bilbao with the recreational area at the summit of the nearby Artxanda Mountain, which has a park, several restaurants, a hotel, a sports complex, and offers panoramic views of the city.

History

A rack railway

Rack railway

A rack-and-pinion railway is a 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 this rack rail...

 to the top of the Artxanda mountain was first proposed in 1901, but not built due to lack of finance. The current funicular was opened in 1915. During the Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

 the funicular was damaged by bombing, but reopened in 1938. The funicular closed in 1976 after an accident that injured several employees of the operating company, and did not reopen again until April 1983. The line was closed again in August of the same year, as a result of flood damage, and did not reopen until November.

Operation

The Bilbao departure point of the funicular is just north of Zubizuri

Zubizuri

The Zubizuri , also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain...

 bridge, on the right bank of the River Nervion

Nervión

The river Nervión runs through the city of Bilbao, Spain into the Cantabrian Sea .It is also known as Estuary of Bilbao on its final tract, from the joining with Ibaizabal river to the sea.-Geography:...

, within walking distance of the Guggenheim Museum

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...

. Services run every 15 minutes throughout the day. Tickets can be bought at the stations, or the Creditrans

Creditrans

Creditrans is a travel card used to travel around Biscay, in the Basque Country . The card is the most popular ticket in the area, used by over 100 million passengers in 2007.-History:...

card can be used.

In 2005 the total number of passengers carried by the Artxanda Funicular was 453,000, a 5% increase on the previous year. The funicular is run by the Funicular de Artxanda S.A., a company wholly owned by the Municipality of Bilbao.

Technical parameters

The funicular has the following technical parameters:

• Length: 770.34 meters
• Height: 226.49 meters
• Maximum steepness: 44,98 %
• Capacity: 70 people per car
• Trip time: 3 minutes
• Maximum speed: 5 metres per second
• Configuration: Single track with passing loop
• Traction: Electricity

External links

• Artxanda Funicular web site (in English)