Montmartre funicular
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The Montmartre funicular is a funicular railway serving the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris, France, in the Eighteenth arrondissement (district) of that city.
The funicular is an automatic two-cabin railway that allows passengers to ride directly from the base of the Montmartre butte to the top, near the base of the Sacré-Cœur basilica, and vice versa. It is operated by the RATP, the Paris Transport Authority, and was first opened on July 13, 1900, although the current funicular is a much more recent renovation.
[edit] The current funicular
Built by Akros, the current funicular is electric and entered service on June 1, 1991. It includes two independent cars with a capacity of 60 persons each. It can move 2000 persons per hour in each direction. A trip in either direction, which covers a vertical distance of 36 metres and a track distance of 108 metres, requires somewhat less than 90 seconds. The funicular provides an alternative to the multiple stairways of more than 300 steps that lead to the top of the butte.
The stations of the funicular at each terminus incorporate multiple transparent elements and were designed by architect François Deslaugiers. The cars, which feature large windows, were designed by stylist Roger Tallon (who also designed the trainsets of the TGV Atlantique). The roof of each car is partially made of glass, which allows passengers to admire the basilica as they are transported.
The technology of the funicular is derived from that of standard elevators, which allows each car to function independently, with its own hoist and cables. This allows one car to remain in service if the other must be taken out of service for maintenance.
[edit] History of the funicular
The Paris city government voted to construct the Montmartre funicular in 1891. Initially, operation of the funicular was subcontracted to Decauville through a concession that ended in 1931. Thereafter, the Société des transports en commun de la région parisienne (STCRP) took control, and this was nationalized after the liberation of Paris to form what ulimately became the RATP, which continues to operate the funicular today.
The original funicular was water powered, using a system of cisterns of five cubic metres each that were filled or emptied in order to move the cars and as a function of passenger load. In 1935, the system was converted to electricity. The funicular was competely rebuilt by the RATP in 1990-1991.
