There are several funicular railways operating in France. There is a short list of most important funicular railways in France, which I briefly described. In the years 1893-1934, an interesting funicular railway operated in Meudon, connecting the stop of present-day Paris tram No. 2 with the platform of the Paris – Brest railway line.
Funicular railways in France:
Funiculaire de Thonon-les-Bains – funicular railway in the spa town of Thonon-les-Bains, near the border with Switzerland. The funicular connects city center with the shores of Lake Geneva since 1888 (built to connect the center with the port). Renovated and rebuilt several times. Fully automated since 1989, the first railway of this type in France. The length of the line is 243 meters, the average speed is 3 m/s, the journey takes one minute and 35 seconds. One carriage can accommodate 54 passengers.
Montmartre Funicular – a short funicular railway line in Paris, allowing you to avoid the climb up the stairs to the hill on which the popular among artists district is located. The funicular was put into operation in 1900 and saved tourists the effort of climbing 300 stairs. The funicular route is 108 meters long, the height difference between the starting and ending stations is 36 meters, and the ride takes less than a minute. The funicular transports over 2 million passengers annually.
Funiculaire de Pau – a funicular connecting the railway station in Pau with the hill on which the castle is located. The 100-meter ride is free and the carriages run every 3 minutes. It was put into operation in 1907, renovated and rebuilt several times. The carriages serving the funicular were manufactured in 1961. Funicular receives very good reviews among passengers as one of the city’s best tourist attractions. The height difference between the starting and ending stations is 26 meters.
Funiculaire du Havre – funicular railway in the city of Le Havre, part of the integrated public transport system. Built in 1890, initially operated by steam locomotives, electrified in 1911. Seriously damaged in 1944 during bombings, reopened in 1950. Closed in 1969-1972, renovated and reinstated in 2021. The carriages need 3 minutes to cover the 343-meter long route. Every year, during the summer season, the funicular is closed for several weeks.
Funival – funicular railway in the popular winter sports resort of Val-d’Isère. It connects La Daille station with Bellevarde station. The distance between stations is 2,300 meters, of which 1,720 meters leads through the tunnel. The height difference between the stations is 892 meters, and the travel time is 8 meters. The funicular, built in 1987, receives very good reviews. The new carriages were manufactured in 2003.
Funiculaire de Saint-Hilaire du Touvet – another mountain funicular railway. It connects Montford with the village of Saint-Hilaire du Touvet, which formerly had no roads and could be reached on foot only. The railway was built in 1920-1924. The length of the route is 1,480 meters. The funicular has appeared in several films and series.
Funiculaire du pic du Jer – 1,100 meters long funicular railway line from Lourdes to the village of Pic du Jer. Built in 1898-1900, the height difference between the stations is 480 meters. The carriages pass through two tunnels and a viaduct; the maximum slope is 58%. The rail gauge 1000 mm. The ride takes about 8 minutes. There are stunning views from the upper station, and you can start walking along one of the trails from the station.
There are two funicular railways in Lyon. The first one connects Saint-Jean station with Saint-Just station (791 meters long, 91 meters difference in height between the starting and ending stations), the second, shorter one covers the route from Saint-Jean station to Fourvière station (406 meters long, 116 meters difference in height between stations). Both funiculars are part of the integrated public transport system and are among the city’s most popular tourist attractions. At least 3 other funicular railways formerly operated in Lyon. Two of them were closed and dismantled and the third one is now occupied by a rack railway – metro line “C”.
Moreover, at one of the roundabouts in the popular town of Evian, there is a monument to the funicular railway operating in this city from 1903 to 1969. There are a dozen or so other funicular railways in operation in France; I mentioned only the most important ones in the article.
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Rack railways in France
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